


Rick's Kryptonite

by Gallagher8



Series: Josephine O'Connell [1]
Category: The Mummy, The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 14:43:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallagher8/pseuds/Gallagher8
Summary: This is going to be a Rick O'Connell Love story! I am the adopted sister of Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan. I never thought I'd be pulled into such a crazy adventure in the hot egyptian sun. I had no idea that I'd fall in love and run into some lost friends along the way. Hope you enjoy!! Evy will be falling for Ardeth a little bit.





	1. Thebes 2,134 B.C

Thebes. City of the Living. Crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First. Home of Imhotep High Priest of Osiris, Keeper of the Dead. Birthplace of Anck-su-namun. Pharaoh's Mistress. No other man was allowed to touch her.

Anck-su-namun walked through the beautifully adorned temple, a couple of Imhotep's priests watching her as she stalked through the drapes to only view her secret lover, Imhotep. Happy to see him she immediately went up to him and he kissed her passionately, rubbing some of her body paint on her shoulder. However, neither of them noticed nor cared in that particular moment.

But for their love, we were willing to risk life itself.

Just as the priests went to shut the doors to the temple the Pharaoh burst his way through them. Making a rather loud noise alerting Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun.

"What are you doing here??" Seti asked angrily. The priests backed away scared of what he could do to them with his power. He walked quickly down the hallway and through the curtain where he saw Anck-su-namun waiting, posing for him. He knew there was something wrong as she tapped her fingers against the cat statue. His eyes glanced down her body noticing that the art on her body was smeared...

"Who has touched you??" He asked her feeling betrayed. Seti spun around hearing a noise. Imhotep stood there glaring at him holding a sword.

"Imhotep? My priest?" He asked even more confused.

Suddenly, Anck-su-namun pulled out a dagger and made the first plunge into his back. I️t seemed fitting that the mistress would be the one to kill him. Imhotep raised his sword and slashed away at the Pharaohs body. The screams alerted the pharaohs bodyguards. And suddenly, both Imhotep and Anck-su-namun were pulled away from each other's arms. They knew their killing would not go unpunished.

***

Meanwhile the pharaohs daughters were on an adjacent balcony chatting when they heard the screams. The older one screamed upon seeing the scene before them unravel, almost falling off the balcony from fear.

"Mejai!! My father needs you!!" Her sister alerted them as she caught her other sister from falling.

***

"You must go. Save yourself. Only you can resurrect me." Anck-su-namun told Imhotep. Imhotep's eyes widened realizing what she was about to do.

"NO!!" He yelled as he got dragged away by tinted blue men.

"My body is no longer his temple." Anck-su-namun stated as she used the dagger in her hand to stab herself in the stomach. Her head fell to her shoulder, lifeless.

For murdering Pharaoh, Anck-su-namun's body was to be cursed. Her body was mummified, her vital organs removed and placed in sacred canopic jars.

Imhotep was there to curse her body. It was laid out with the jars near her. He carried and read from a book made out of pure gold. It was named, the book of the living.

The Book of The Living contained sacred incantations that would send the evil dead on a journey into the dark underworld.

As Imhotep read from he book you could tell there was anguish on his face. He clearly did not want to be doing this to his love. The priests quickly buried her body in the sand. As the ritual was complete the Medjai showed up and killed the slaves so that no one would know Anck-su-namuns true burial place. She was moved quickly and easily. 

The slaves were killed... and the soldiers who killed them were also slain, so that no unholy person should ever know the exact location of the burial site.

After the Medjai disappeared the holy slaves Imhotep had left began to dig up Anck-su-namuns body. They put her body on a chariot and quickly headed off into the darkness towards the city of Hamunaptra.

But there was another book, The Book Of The Dead, which was never to be opened, never to be read, for it contained the incantations that could bring a dead body back to life a most unholy thing.It was hidden at Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, inside the statue of Anubis, so that no such sacrilege might ever disgrace Egypt.

Anck-su-namuns body was laid on a stone deep within the city. And the canonic jars laid out with her once again. The book of the Dead was given to Imhotep in order to do yet another ritual. 

But for their love they were willing to defy the gods.

Imhotep began the ritual and the his priests began to chant. It was almost complete, a black smoke settled upon Anuck-su-namuns body and her eyes snapped open.

Anck-su-namun soul had come back from the dead! Now all that was needed, was to return her organs to their rightful place within her body.

However, before it could be complete the medjai showed up and ripped Imhotep away from the book and away from his love once again.

Imhotep's priests were condemned to be mummified alive. As for Imhotep he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai. The worst of all ancient curses. One so horrible, it had never before been bestowed.

Imhotep and his priests were led to a different temple and were mummified alive. Organs pulled from their bodies unwillingly. The screams were so much, only the strongest remained. Tools were scattered about for the medjai to use to complete the task Seti's daughter had given them. Imhotep's tongue was cut out of his mouth and gauze wrapped around his body. He was thrown in a sarcophagus, but not before a bucket of scarabs were thrown on him only to slowly eat him alive. The coffins lid was shut and locked, never to be seen again.

He was to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus, the undead for all of eternity. For if he would arise he would rise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh-eater, with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of invincibility.


	2. Josephine Rose Carnahan

My name is Josephine Rose Carnahan. I am the adopted sister of Evelyn Carnahan and Jonathan Carnahan. I am older than Evy but younger than Jonathan. My occupation fluctuates a ton, I'm a drifter to be completely honest. Our parents died when I was in my late teens which made me realize I needed to step up and mature at a younger age because I knew Jonathan wouldn't wise up and raise Evy himself. I did the best I could, I think she turned out alright. I left after she was able to live on her own and do what she needed to do. I had the need to travel and see the world, so my drifter qualities were born.  
I ended up in Egypt in 1923 where I am currently with the French Foreign Legionnaires. This is where I ended up meeting one of my most treasured friends Rick O'Connell and Winston Havelock. Our whole garrison decided to march through Libya and into Egypt to find the city of Hamunaptra for some unknown reason. That's the only reason I ended up tagging along. I grew up with my mother always talking about it and telling the stories to us as children. However, it was not the visit I expected it to be. We ended up in a battle with the Tuaregs.   
"Rick, goddamnit!! I thought you said you wouldn't get us killed!!" I yelled at him angrily. Beni our Hungarian comrade cowering behind me. Rick and I crouched below a wall holding our rifles at the ready as these horses galloped towards us. I was dressed like a man as to avoid suspicion as to why a women would be here with these soldiers. Women had no place in this city which was maddening but I was already going to be in a ton of trouble if I was caught. I watched as our Colonel rode off on his horse in fear.  
"Coward" I said under my breath.   
"You've just been promoted" Beni informed Rick. Rick sighed and rolled his eyes and gave some orders in French.   
"Ready??" He yelled.  
"You guys with me on this one right?" He asked both Beni and I.  
"Oh your strength gives me strength" Beni replied. I rolled my eyes and nodded.  
"Always" I said. Rick smiled a tad acknowledging both our replies.   
"Steady!!!... Steady!!..." Rick yelled. Beni seeing the horses and men grow closer decided he was not ready and ran away. I rolled my eyes, I knew that would happen.  
"Fire!!!" Rick yelled. 'Finally' I thought and I started firing at the Tuaregs with all the strength I had and reloading when I could, taking it shot by shot. I soon realized the rifle would not do it anymore and threw it away and grabbed the handguns I'd had on my person, standing up and backing up in line with Rick who was now trying to reload his rifle, with a shell in his mouth. I saw a man about to lunge at Rick but I quickly shot him down. I covered Rick as best I could while he reloaded and kept shooting.  
"Follow me, Joe!" He said as he threw away his rifle and got out 2 more handguns and shooting at people who got in his way. He was soon out and pulled out another couple of handguns.  
"Damn Rick, how many do you have?!" I yelled as I ran after him. He didn't answer as he saw Beni running as well. Rick ran faster to catch up to him as I ran after him.   
"Run Beni, RUN!!!" Rick yelled at our companion. I knew what he was going to do the second I saw the temple type compartment he was running towards. I slowed down a little knowing Beni.   
"Get inside, Get inside!!" Rick yelled at him. Beni started closing the door just as I thought that little stinkweed.  
"Don't you close that door!! Don't you close that--!" Rick yelled at him. More shots were fired at us.   
"Rick RUN!!" I yelled at him as I passed him and ran through the city towards the statue of Anubis. Rick right behind me. I was out of guns and only had my knives. Rick had somehow managed to lose his in our scuffle as I had left my turbin. He stepped in front of me and braced for the worst as the Tuaregs closed in their rifles trained on us. Suddenly something weird happened. The sand started to swirl around us and a face started to form as the wind whipped it around, the Tuaregs booked it out of there their horses scared shitless.   
"Rick" I whispered and poked his side. He opened his eyes and spun around to face me he looked shocked. His face mimicked my emotions inside. I smiled laughing a little before he hugged me lifting me off my feet and spun me around..  
"RICK! Put me down!" I yelled at him. We noticed the sand start moving a little more roughly.   
"Shit! Rick RUN!" I yelled sand getting thrown around near my face. He quickly threw me off his shoulder and let me run myself. Day quickly turned to night as we ran out of the city, death surrounding us. I noticed these men dressed in black robes staring at us from atop some cliff.   
"Rick..." I said as I nodded towards them, basically asking if we should be worried about them.   
"We'll be okay" He told me and we kept walking to the nearest city we could find.


	3. The Truth and Prison

We got back into the city really late at night, Rick was very unhappy and mumbling about how terrible our hike was. I heard him say something about getting a drink. I was going to go with him just to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, but I was so tired and felt so disgusting. I needed to shower first, so I headed home to my humble abode. But before I did I tried to reason with Rick get him to sleep, shower, stuff of that sort but he just brushed me off. He had said he had enough of my 'mothering' and stalked off. I shrugged and sighed knowing I'd probably find him later.

Once I got to my door I realized it was propped open slightly. Noticing this I slowly pulled the dagger from my boot and pushed it open more it creeking at the movement. I walked inside and flicked the light switch on yet I saw no one inside. I was still convinced someone was in my house though, so I kept searching. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard water running, it was coming from the kitchen. I swiftly glided over there and looked around the corner I set the dagger up to where I could throw it quickly if needed holding the blade I continued forwards. I saw a figure standing there at the sink, I walked closer and right when I was about to throw the knife at the figure it turned around and screamed!  
"GOD JOE IT'S JUST ME!!!" Evy yelled at me, scaring me and making me drop the knife. It clattered on the floor.   
"Jesus Evy, no need to yell." I said as I bent down to pick up the knife glaring at my sister.  
"Sorry, you just startled me is all." She said, I nodded understandingly because who wouldn't be startled if they were threatened with a knife.. Evy looked me over.  
"What happened to you?" she asked immediately her British mum skills coming to surface as her face showed worry.  
"I'll tell you about it later, I need to shower right now and get some sleep." She nodded and didn't press the matter anymore, letting me go off and shower.

1926--Cairo (3 years after the Battle of Hamunaptra) 

I woke up later in the day, I didn't have a job currently so there was no reason to get up early. I was just living with my sister in my apartment in Cairo, of which our parents had bought for us before they died. I hadn't heard from Rick since that night 3 years ago. Of course I was worried about him and I'd sent letters after letters to him but only for them to return to me. Who knows really what happened to him. I knew he could take care of himself he was a grown man but that didn't change the sick feeling I had for the situation. I got up and and put some tea on the stove shaking those thoughts from my mind. My sister had scrawled a note on some spare paper and put it on the fridge,

"Went to work be back soon." Ah of course. Evy worked at Cairo's Museum of Antiquities, although I don't know why she did. It was shitty paying and not really worth it, plus the curator was an absolute jerk. I've been trying to make her quit for years, she's been working on it but Bembridge Scholars kept rejecting her application because she doesn't have enough field experience. But, for women it's hard to do anything of the sort you have to pose as a man or something to gain any sort of respect. I would know... Just as I was pouring my tea into a tea cup Evy burst threw the door with Jonathan behind her. They were talking excitedly about something I wasn't sure what.   
"Joe!!!" Jonathan exclaimed!  
"Jonathan!" I smiled a him setting down my tea cup and getting up to hug him.  
"Joe, Jonathan's come from Thebes, found this puzzle box on a dig.." I looked at Jonathan knowing that was for sure not true, I knew my brother better than that. Evy was just the gullible one.   
"Oh, is that so?" I asked her still looking at Jonathan, he squirmed a tad under my gaze. I looked back to Evy.   
"We opened this box and inside was a map to Hamunaptra! I'm sure of it!" I tensed up a little. She pulled this out of her bag. I recognized it and knew immediately Jonathan did not get that on a dig down in Thebes. This was the box that Rick had found the day we were in the desert.  
"That's awesome Eves. Jonathan, a word?" I walked over to the kitchen with Jonathan at my heels.  
"Where did you really get the box?" I asked him giving him a hard glare. He caved under it and finally told me.  
"Stole it off a drunk in the local Casbah" I lightened my gaze on him.  
"I knew it." I said and walked away towards the pantry to grab some food.  
"Any idea where he is now?" I asked Jon.  
"Cario prison, I assume" Jon answered truthfully.   
"Great. Let's go shall we?" I asked, Jon looked startled.   
"Wait Joe we can't just barge in there." Jon said trying to reason with me.   
"Fine, give them a ring. Let them know we are coming." I told him. He quickly went towards the phone and called Cairo prison.  
'Oh Rick' I thought 'What did you get yourself into?' I sighed as I went back into the living room to see my sister admiring the map and key Jon had 'found'. Jon came back into the room a moment later.  
"We are good to go." He informed me.  
"Eves, might want to grab your hat. We are going out." I told her while eating some shortbread cookies. She nodded and quickly rose and went to her room to grab it. When she came back we all went outside and into the car for the ride to Cairo prison. When we got there I was greeted by a smelly gross warden. I crinkled my nose. As Jonathan started to talk to him about why we were here while the warden escorted us to this mans cell.  
"You told me you found it on a dig down in Thebes!!" Evy scolded Jonathan. I lagged behind them so I didn't catch any of the blame.  
"I was mistaken!" Jonathan countered.  
"You lied to me!" Evelyn freaked out a tad.  
"He lies to everyone, what makes us so special?" I piped up from behind them.  
"We are his sisters!!" She replied angrily glancing back at me.  
"Just makes you more gullible" Jonathan told her.   
"You stole it from a drunk at the local casbah?!" She asked very annoyed and sounding a tad scared.   
"Picked his pocket actually." Jonathan corrected and tried to turn her around since she was clinging on his arm. I kept walking with the warden.  
"What exactly is he in prison for?" I asked the warden as we approached the holding cell.  
"This I did not know, so when I heard you were coming I asked him that myself." He told me.  
"And what did he say?" Evy asked.  
"He said... He was just looking for a good time." He said and made a gesture that told the guards to bring the prisoner to the viewing area. I looked at him. It couldn't be Rick this man was so scraggly and seemed like he'd been there a while. But I knew those beautiful blue eyes anywhere. He looked at me, then at my sister and Jonathan.  
"Who are you? And who's the broad?" He asked. 'Damn Rick where are your manners' I thought cringing inwardly.  
"Broad?!" Evy asked, appalled.  
"That's my sister actually." Jonathan butted in.  
"Well I'm sure she's not a total loss." Rick said.  
"I beg your pardon!" Evy was about to go off on him but the warden interrupted her.  
"I'll be back in a moment." He said.  
"I tremble with anticipation" Rick said sarcastically as the warden walked away. Okay time to get down to business.  
"Hello, we've uhm found your puzzle box and we've come to ask you about it." Evy started.  
"No." Rick said.  
"No?" Evy asked.  
"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra." Rick said. I had not told Evy about Hamunaptra, no one knew that I had been there.   
"How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" Evy asked her voice hushed so she wouldn't draw attention.  
"Because that's where I was when I found it. I was there." Rick told her looking at me. Evy looked astounded while Jonathan looked suspicious. He stepped forward getting closer to Rick.  
"And How do we know that's not a load of pig swallow?" Jon asked. I sighed knowing it was a bad idea.  
"You know, do I know you?" Rick asked. I covered up a laugh knowing what was going to happen next. Jonathan tried to explain but Rick then realized where he knew him from and punched him in the face. Evy gasped and immediately tended to him. Rick got hit by the guards his head hitting the bars, yet he showed little pain. I knew it was my turn to make myself known. I stepped over Jonathan and squatted near Ricks level as he was being held on his knees.   
"I just decked your brother." Rick informed me.  
"Yes, well... I know my brother." I told him shrugging, Rick slightly smiled at me.  
"How have you been Joe?" Rick asked me. I just laughed.  
"You have to take us back Rick." I said getting serious.  
"You sure you want to go back? Seti's place, City of the Dead?" I sighed knowing he was making his point.  
"Please." I said, looking at him trying to persuade him with my eyes.  
"You really want this?" He asked and gestured me closer.  
"Yes Rick" I said rolling my eyes and getting closer. He quickly grabbed my chin and kissed me. I was stunned.  
"Then get me the hell out of here!! Do it Joe!!" He yelled as he was dragged back to his cell.  
"Where are they taking him?!" Evy piped up.  
"To be hanged... Apparently he had a very good time." The warden answered.The Hanging Almost all the prisoners of Cairo were out to watch Rick be hung. I was not happy with the situation. I couldn't believe this was happening and this was where I found him three years after I left him. I had my hand on my gun ready to shoot that rope off his neck if need be. I was leaning against a pole watching this whole event go down. Evy sat next to the warden and Jonathan had wandered off somewhere.  
"I'll give you 100 pounds to save this mans life." Evy tried to reason with him.  
"Ma'am I would pay 100 pounds just to see him hang" I sneered at him pulling my gun out slightly.  
"200 pounds." Evy tried again.  
"Proceed" the warden said.   
"300 pounds" Evy would not give up. The hangman turned to Rick and asked him something I couldn't quite make out, however, I did hear Rick's response.  
"Yeah loosen the knot and let me go." I smiled at him. The hangman said something to the warden in arabic and the warden yelled back him him.  
"No of course we don't let him go!!" I laughed a tad.   
"500 pounds!!" Evy finally exclaimed.   
"And what else? I am a very lonely man." He put his hand on my sisters leg. I pulled my gun on him, his hand quickly was removed as Evy smacked his hand with her book. Suddenly Rick was dropped through the trap door.   
"NOO!!" I yelled and pulled my gun quickly reading to shoot the rope that held him.  
"Ah his neck did not break, now we must watch him strangle to death." the warden told me.  
"He knows the location to Hamunaptra!" I said.  
"You lie!" he countered me.  
"I would never!" I said.  
"Are you saying this filthy godless son of a pig knows where to find the City of the Dead? Truly?" The warden questioned.  
"YES! And if you cut him down we'll give you 10%" Evy said.  
"50!" The warden tried.  
"20!" Evy tried. I could see Rick turning different shades of blue. I needed to shoot him down soon.  
"40!" He tried.  
"30!" Evy tried again.  
"25!" The warden cracked.  
"Ah! DEAL!" Evy said smiling happily. I quickly aimed and fired at the rope it broke seconds later, and Rick fell to the ground holding his neck and looking up at us gratefully. I smiled I couldn't wait to catch up with my old pal.


	4. Near Death Experiences

I didn't want to be a burden right after Rick was released from Cairo prison so I decided to let him get all cleaned up first before I questioned him about anything. His hair was super grown out and he didn't look the best he could be. I was a tad angry with him for everything not writing or acting to contact me for bail. But at the same time I figured he did want to take care of it himself. So my siblings and I went back to my home cleaned up and packed for our adventure. Evy was in the room with me and she looked at me skeptically.   
"What?" I asked knowing she was looking at me with those questioning eyes.   
"Nothing. Just Mr. O'Connell acted like he knew you." I sighed knowing this was coming.  
"Okay, guess I knew this was coming... After I left England I came here, like you know. I joined the French Foreign Legionnaires, which is where I met Rick O'Connell. We marched across Libya and into Egypt to Hamunaptra." Evy looked at me astounded that I had kept this from her. I didn't blame her, I'd only told her some of it, didn't tell her about Hamunaptra just because it was relatively disappointing for me the first time.  
"When we got there I didn't get to look around a ton. Mainly all we found was sand and blood as Rick will tell you. Nothing was super special about it. But we'll see this time, maybe we can actually find the Book of the Living!" I explained. Evy still seemed optimistic about going out to the city so that was good, I didn't want to discourage her from following her dreams.   
"Well we'll just have to prove him wrong then!" Evy said still shoving the rest of her clothes into her suitcase and leaving me alone in the room to get some rest.

The Barge

Evy, Jonathan and myself were heading towards the boat we were all going to be boarding to take us to the city where we needed to go to end up before getting to Hamunaptra. I was wondering where Rick had gotten right about now. Wondering if he was even going to show up at all, he might've just run, I wouldn't blame him. But his word is his word. Just then my sister voiced my concerns."Do you really think he is going to show up?" Evy asked Jon and I."Yes, undoubtedly, knowing my luck. He may be a cowboy, but l know the breed. His word is his word." Jon answered for both of us. Evy looked at me for confirmation and I nodded."Well, personally I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit." I tried to warn her that Rick had showed up behind us in the meantime. He smirked. "Anyone I know?" Rick asked. Evy spun around and looked a tad embarrassed. Rick stood in all his glory all clean shaven and looking as handsome as ever."Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O'Connell?" My brother asked as he patted Rick on the shoulder."Yeah, smashing..."Rick laughed a little and checked his pocket for his wallet."Oh, no, no, l'd never steal from a partner... partner." Jonathan tried to redeem his status in Ricks eyes. I smirked at the awkwardness of it all."Oh that reminds me... No hard feelings about the uh--" Rick said as he mimicked a punching motion."Oh no, no, happens all the time." Jonathan explained I chuckled a tad. Knowing this was very true."Joe, you sure your ready to go back?" Jonathan looked at me with wide eyes."No. I won't ever be, but I'd love to be proven wrong by my siblings that there actually is something out there." I told him truthfully."Even though all we found when we got there was sand and blood? Still willing to go?" Rick questioned. "God damn O'Connell stop asking, we're going!! Stop trying to talk me out of it!!" I practically yelled making a scene. Evy and Jonathan looked at me surprised. "Ooo last names. Alright Carnahan, I'll leave you alone. Let me get your bags" Rick said, I knew he just wanted to get under my skin. I walked away with my bag and boarded. Going straight to my room to clean my weapons I had brought with me, it would help me calm a bit before I questioned Rick about bail and whatnot. It wasn't til much later that I walked out of Evy and I's room and started to explore a bit. I was walking around there were a ton of people on this ship. Mostly Americans and tourists. I overheard some of the Americans talking it sounded like they were as well searching for Hamunaptra. I heard Jon talking about it while he cut the deck to some cards. I rolled my eyes. So like my brother gambling. I walked over to the live stock on the ship I heard some horses whinny and the camels snort. I started petting this beautiful paint colored mustang. He looked like he really enjoyed the attention and relaxed into my touch. Some voices to my right let me know that my sister and Rick were talking by the railing. The conversation was normal. Evy was telling him about why she wanted to go to Hamunaptra to find the gold book of Amun Ra. Rick told her that's what I had said when I had met him. Then the topic switched to me. I decided before they got into too much detail I would make myself known. The camel I was near did that for me, he gave out a very loud noise, telling me he wanted attention too. I looked at the horse though letting him know I'd come back with some treats later if I could find any. "Oh Joe! Hey we were just talking about you!" Evy said I smiled and gave her a look to leave Rick and I alone to talk. She nodded."You know what. I'll actually give you two some room to talk." She said getting her stuff together and leaving."Thanks Eves, I'll see you soon, Night." I said. I sat down where she just was. "So..." Rick started knowing I would be a little angry at him since he didn't contact me."No. Why the hell did you not contact me??? You knew we both were in Egypt, you had no excuse not to contact me. And looking for a good time Rick!! C'mon!" I ranted at him. "Hey. I had my reasons." I rolled my eyes. That was not a good enough answer for me."Not good enough." I said and crossed my arms glaring at him. His beautiful blue eyes locked with mine and my gaze softened."I didn't want to bother you because I had been a pretty big ass on the way back to Cairo. So.." I laughed."Yes you were. But that gives you no reason not to contact me. Rick we were best friends." I told him."were?..." He questioned and looked at me. I didn't answer him."Your family seems nice. Your brothers sure something." He told me."Oh I know, that's Jonathan for ya though." I laughed. Then there was a comfortable silence that came over us. I cleared my throat and decided now was the time to ask."Why did you kiss me?" I asked Rick looking at one of his weapons."I don't know I was about to be hanged, seemed like a good idea at the time." He said while cleaning his shotgun. I was a bit annoyed at that reply so I got up and decided that was enough talking for the night."Goodnight Rick." I said and walked after my sister to our room. "What? What'd I say?" He asked completely lost. I just kept walking. I noticed some wet footprints on the floor as I was walking back. That's weird, I thought. I don't think any of the Americans would be stupid enough to fall off the barge and swim their way back to get back up. But maybe. I brushed the thought away and walked towards Evy and I's room. "Your back sooner than I thought!" Evy exclaimed as I walked through the door. "Yeah he pissed me off." I said as I stripped and got into my nightgown. I watched my sister walk around with her book while brushing her hair. Always trying to multitask. She finally put her book down and looked at me seriously. My mind was wandering so it took me a little while to realize she was staring. "What?" I asked finally getting out of my daze. "How was it? Catching up." Evy asked."Well that's kind of a dumb question, Eves. It was terrible. But there's no way I could stay mad at him." I explained putting my face in my hands. "Ooooo" she made a weird noise that I wasn't used to."You like him." She stated. I immediately looked up into her eyes. "No. No way." I denied it fully and laid down on the bed closing my eyes. I heard Evy gasp and immediately my eyes shot open and I sat up and pulled my gun from underneath my pillow. I saw a man standing there in black robes that looked vaguely familiar. I pointed my gun at him about to shoot but he had my sister in front of him acting kind of as a shield."Sir, I am not in the mood to negotiate, so if you would let my sister go that would be great!" I said slowly and calmly. Just then Rick burst through the door with his guns at the ready I quickly reached for my weapons bag. "Josephine!! Evelyn!!" He called our names. Just then the window opened and there was another man in black robes holding a gun and started shooting at us.. Immediately Rick and I started shooting back at him. I watched as Evy took hold of a candle that was burning and shove it in the mans eye that was holding her, it dropped on the floor and caught the rug on fire. I quickly ran over to her and grabbed her arm and followed Rick out the door."THE MAP, I forgot the map!!" Evy yelled about to turn back. Both Rick and I grabbed her before she could run back into the burning room. "Relax. We're the map it's all up here." Rick said gesturing to his brain. Evy rolled her eyes."Oh that's comforting!!" She said as we dashed behind a wall, while Rick and I reloaded our weapons. I got done first and noticed the shots were getting closer and closer to Ricks head. I quickly grabbed his gun holster and moved him to the side so he wouldn't get his head shot. He quickly pulled out another gun and we were moving again. He quickly shoved his weapons bag into Evys arms."Can you swim??" He asked her."Well of course I can swim if the occasion calls for it!!" Evy yelled at him confused as the flames filled the barge. "Trust me. It calls for it!" Rick told her swiftly scooping her up and throwing her with his bag overboard. He gave me a look that said, 'don't make me throw you in too'. I quickly took the hint and dove off the ship with my weapons bag in tow. As I swam I was being weighed down by my bag and was quickly sinking. I went under the water and struggled to break back up for air. I finally broke the surface and gasped sucking in ocean water along with the air, it burned my lungs. I went back under. I gasped under the water, filling my lungs even more. My vision was starting to blacken up, I couldn't see or breathe I had no idea what was happening. Suddenly, I felt a weight under me lifting me to the surface. It was like I was aware but outside my body. It was a very strange feeling.Oh my god Joe! That was Evy talking  
What the hell happened??? Jonathan exclaimed. I heard hooves on the beach near me.  
I felt a heavy pressure on my chest then a light one on my lips. Then more compressions and again. I felt the water flow back up through my chest. I started coughing and my vision came back. I heard a bunch of sighs around me. I saw Rick above me on his knees.  
"Oh thank god." Rick said and hugged me. I looked to Evy and Jon, Evy was hugging Jon looking relieved as hell. I looked to the left of them and saw my beautiful friend I had made on the barge. I stood up and walked over to him petting his head.   
"Where did he come from?" I asked Rick my voice hoarse.   
"He just followed us up here. Are you okay?? You should rest. I don't need you dying on me." Rick said from behind me.  
"Oh... No, no I'm fine." I trailed off not worrying about it anymore. Evy and Jon then came over to me and hugged me. Then I saw the weirdest thing yet today. Beni was standing there on the other side of the river.  
"You really should just relax.. We just lost everything, all of our equipment all of our clothes!!" Evy said but was drowned out by Beni.  
"HEY O'CONNELL!! O'CONNELL LOOKS TO ME LIKE I HAVE ALL THE HORSES!!" Beni yelled to us.  
"HEY BENI!! LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOUR ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER!!" Rick yelled back to him. After this debacle they hoisted me up onto my horse (whom I had decided to name Hidalgo) and we rode into town to find more equipment and clothes.


	5. Familiarity and Uneasy Feelings

The group of us waded up the stream and onto the beach. Evy suggested that we go see if the market would fix us up with some more clothes and some equipment for me. I agreed so we rode, well I rode and they walked, into the small town near the river. Jonathan made the decision to see where he could rent some camels to take into Hamunaptra for the rest of the group. Once we started seeing vendors tents I slid off Hidalgo and walked next to Evy, letting Rick take his harness and lead him away from us.   
Once we got to the tents we were immediately flocked by older Egyptian women who wanted to help us beyond what was really needed. I was pulled away from Evy pretty quickly, surrounded and immediately stripped of my now dry nightgown. They clothed me in beautiful black see through cloth type dress as much to my dismay. I heard Evy laughing in the "room" next door. I enjoyed their touch and pampering, they surrounded my eyes with kohl and did my hair in a different style then I was used to but I loved the look of it, it was beautiful, something I would never do for myself..  
"Do you have any types of weapons?" I asked in ancient Egyptian. An elderly woman walked away I looked after her figure wondering where she had gone and what she had planned.  
"Only the best for Sekhmet." Another women said aloud. I was really lost. I had never told them my name and that was certainly not it. I shrugged it off for now, deciding it didn't matter at this point in time. Maybe later I would question it, but there was too much on my mind at the moment. I needed to get a saddle and nicer bridle for Hidalgo so I needed to not spend a ton of money on weapons since I had saved my weapons bag from the ship wreckage, but I wanted a new one for my collection. The old women came back holding a beautiful golden dagger with some hieroglyphics on it that read the name that they had called me, "Sekhmet" I whispered feeling a little weird about it and a tad creeped out by how natural it felt in my hands and familiar. However, I took the dagger gratefully and thanked the women in the tent. They had done a lot for me. They had put kohl on my eyes to make them pop, dressed me, and gave me a weapon. I tried to pay them with some money but they insisted that I keep my money. However, in the end I ended up leaving some money on the table because I would have felt bad about not paying them for all they had done. I quickly walked away and into another venders tend finding some lovely bridles and saddles for horses. I felt a presence near me and looked to my left to find Rick next to me,  
"Hey." He said and looked at me staring actually was more what he was doing.  
"You look wonderful." He told me still staring with wide eyes.   
"Thanks Rick..." I replied hiding my blush and looking around me at all the bridles that hung from the ceiling.   
"I uh. I already bought you a saddle and bridle for uh...." He trailed off, staring at me like he was in a trance, I blushed more.   
"Hidalgo." I filled in.   
"Yeah." Rick said, he looked embarrassed but I smiled at him encouragingly.  
"You didn't have to do that." I smiled and walked out of the venders tent excited to see my new horse all decked out. Rick followed behind me I could feel his piercing gaze on my back as we walked back towards where Evy and Jonathan had been waiting for us. They smiled at me knowingly and brought Hidalgo into my view. He was dressed with a beautiful medium brown colored leather saddle and bridle with a silver bit. Beautiful and fit him very well.  
"Oh Rick it's beautiful!! Fits him perfectly!" I exclaimed, very happy spinning around and hugging him hard. I quickly ran back towards my beauty and quickly hopping on his back waiting for the others to catch up.  
Finally, we were all set to go Rick and I led the way while my brother, sister and the warden trailed behind us. The warden started singing a terrible Egyptian song way out of tune. I filtered him out rather quickly and just focused on the long journey ahead of us. Evy was reading a book at one point while Jonathan looked bored as all hell. Rick and I made small talk while the warden did God knows what. Quickly the days faded away. I had fallen asleep briefly, I heard Evy and Rick talking in hushed voices.   
"You know, I know Joe well, she may not show it but I think she really fancies you. Mark my words I believe you will end up together." Evy told Rick sounding very sure of herself.   
"I like the sound of that." Rick replied with a slight chuckle. They talked more about Egypt and what brought Evy and Jon out here and then the conversation faded. I woke up at the sunrise spilling into the sky.   
"Morning sleepy head." Rick greeted me quietly. I wasn't quite sure if the conversation I had heard last night had actually happened or not so I quickly forgot about it.  
"Morning." I said looking around to see we were relatively close to Hamunaptra. Rick held us up, I quickly got down off Hidalgo and gave him some water while we waited for our grand entrance for the city.  
"Good morning, my friend." I heard a familiar weasley voice greet us. There Beni was in all his glory with his herd of American men behind him.  
"What the hell we doin'?" A fairly attractive man asked Beni sounding annoyed that they had stopped moving.  
"Patience, my good brat'am. Patience." Beni chided.  
"Remember our bet, O'Connell. First one to the city, 500 cash bucks. A hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet." The American continued talking to Beni and Rick I rolled my eyes. Looking at Rick out of the side of my eye while hopping back on Hidalgo.  
"What happened to only gambling with your life?" I asked Rick. He shrugged.  
"I think I can win this one pretty easily." Rick whispered to me.  
"Hey, O'Connell. Nice camel." Beni replied trying to throw us off. Rick smiled and pet his camel on the head.  
"Get ready for it." Rick informed our crew.  
"For what?" Evy asked.  
"We're about to be shown the way.." I replied. Just as I had finished my sentence the dust started clearing and something in the wind changed revealing the ruins of the once beautiful Hamunaptra.  
"Here we go again." Rick said as the Americans all looked flabbergasted. Almost immediately everyone started galloping towards the city. Camels and horses were being pushed to their limits. I saw ahead of me Rick and Beni were getting into it. Beni was hitting Rick with his crop while Rick was just trying to get ahead of Beni. Eventually Rick got fed up with Beni and grabbed him by his shirt and threw him from his camel.  
"So long Beni." I heard him say and smiled a tad while pushing Hidalgo faster.  
"Serves you right" I heard my sister say. I ended up passing Rick with my sister behind me in tow. Hidalgo was holding back I could feel it, like I was holding him back. I lessened my grip on his reins letting him have his head. He started galloping even faster. Evy was still very close to us. The city was drawing closer. Evy's camel let out a weird noise and we shared a look and all of a sudden Evy's camel took off towards the city. Hidalgo was right behind her.   
"Woo!! GO JOE, GO EVY!! GO!!!" I heard Jonathan yell excited we had won the bet. Evy slowed down looking in awe at the city. I had no idea Hidalgo could run that fast! Eventually the others caught up. Both Jon and I scouted out a place to camp and put our supplies while Evy, Rick and the warden went to find where she wanted to start digging and where to begin our journey into the city of the Dead. I sighed knowing we had a long road in front of us, however, an adventure would never be easy, I had an uneasy feeling about the whole venture ever since we got here. Guess we'd see how things play out.


	6. The Key and More Feelings

The next morning our whole crew got up at the crack of dawn and went to work. Evy was going on about the statue of Anubis while I was attempting to read some hieroglyphics around us, I was a tad rusty.  
"That's the statue of Anubis, it's legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge Scholars that's where we'll find the secret compartment containing the golden book of Amun Ra.." I looked around the site to see my brother trying to look at himself in this old mirror.  
"Jonathan you're meant to catch the sun with that." I said to him, startling him a tad. I stifled a laugh. Evy looked around to me, hearing my voice. Rick came up to me.  
"So uh what're these old mirrors for?" Rick asked me, Evy looked up I could see her eyes light up.  
"Well why don't you tell him Eves?" I asked her, she smiled like a crazy person. I looked into Ricks eyes and then looked at my sister waiting for her explanation.  
"It's a really neat ancient Egyptian trick you'll see..." Evy told him smiling and walking back to fix Jonathan's job he was working on knowing he didn't do it right.  
"Oh.. Uh this is for you.." Rick said taking a beautiful gun from behind his back. I looked at it amused it was a lovey pistol all silver and engraved with lovely stitching.  
"It's a little something I borrowed off our American brethren, you uh might need it when we uh..." Rick said awkwardly using gestures. I smiled at him blushing a little. He'd been so kind to me lately, it gave my stomach a churning feeling.  
"Thank you." I said. He smiled slightly and walked away while the warden looked at him like he knew something that we didn't. Rick quickly wiped that smile off his face with a snide comment. We all went back to where the hole was where Rick tied off a rope that lead to the underground and jumped in ready to face the adventure.

Inside the City

"We're standing inside a room no one has entered in over 3,000 years." Evy said, pride on her face. I dropped onto the ground followed by the warden and Jon.  
"Whew what is that God awful stench??" Jon complained. I looked back at him and with my eyes tried to tell him it was the warden.   
"Oh.." he said realization crossing his face. Rick dropped down next to him. I watched Evy walked towards the mirrors.  
"And then there was... Light." Evy said as she turned the mirror so it caught the light from the outside and lit up the whole room. I smiled I knew this would happen but the stories were now coming true. The stories our mother used to tell us with a beautiful gleam in her eye were finally coming true. It kind of scared me a tad, made me wonder if all of it was true, even the dangerous parts, either way I'd be on my guard to keep my family safe.  
"Hey, that is a neat trick." Rick said while walking further into the room we had entered the rest of us following a little behind.  
"Oh, my God. lt's a sah-netjer." I exclaimed looking at Evy seeing the same excited look on her face.  
"Huh?" Rick asked a little confused.  
"A preparation room." Evy said.  
"Preparation for what?" Rick asked.  
"For entering the afterlife." Evy and I said in a creepy dialect harmonizing beautifully if I do say so myself.  
"Mummies my good son, this is where they made the mummies." Jon said to Rick explaining further. He nodded flinching a little. We all walked a tad further into the city seeing lovely ornate walls adorned with hieroglyphics I wanted to stop and read them all but none the less we had a quest. I couldn't believe I was actually here. In this mythical city that no one thought existed. Everyone thought it was impossible, but it was real!! A really weird feeling of familiarity came over me but I ignored it trying to shrug it off.. It almost felt like I had been here in ancient times, but that was impossible.  
"What the-- What was that??!" The warden exclaimed scared. I didn't actually hear the noise I was too consumed in my own thoughts. I looked around confused.   
"Sounds like... bugs." Rick said looking around to me and the warden.  
"What do you mean bugs!! I hate bugs." The warden said freaking out.  
"Oh hush you old bag. It'll be fine." I snapped at him annoyed with his stupid antics. He looked at me a little scared and taken aback. We finally got to Anubis after about 15 more minutes of walking through the underground maze. Evy practically ran up to the statue.  
"Woaw Evy slow down slow down.."  
"The secret compartment should be hidden somewhere inside here." Evy said contemplatively. Suddenly we started hearing weird noises coming from in front of us, sounded like they were coming close and fast. I quickly grabbed Evy and threw her behind me next to Jon and the warden. Jon stepped in front of me like he was going to face whatever it was before his baby sisters. Big step for him the normal coward. We crouched below the statue and inched towards the edge waiting to meet our deaths. Quickly, we jumped out from around the corner guns at the ready just to find ourselves face to face with the Americans.   
"You scared the bejesus out of us, O'Connell." the one named Henderson said. We all relaxed our pistols.  
"Likewise." Rick said smirking a bit.  
"Hey that's my gun!" I shrugged away a little.  
"No. No I don't think so." Rick said protectively. Throwing his guns up at the man who had said that. Everyones guns went up at that comment as well.  
"Oookay perhaps I was mistaken." He gave up fairly quickly.  
"Well have a nice day, gentlemen. We have a lot of work to be getting along with." Evy said trying to get us to move on with our lives. We relaxed our guns again.  
"Push off! This is our dig site." the man in the fez said.   
"We got here first...." Evy sneered at this man. Our guns shot back up at each other.  
"This here's our statue, friend." Another man said.   
"l don't see your name written on it... pal." Rick countered.   
"Yes, well, there's only five of you... And 15 of me. Your odds are not so great, O'Connell." Beni said looking from Rick to myself. Both Rick and I pointed our guns at Beni, little bastard didn't deserve his life.  
"I've had worse." Both Rick and I said at the same time looking at each other then looking back to Beni.  
"Yeah, me too.." Jonathan said. I looked at Jonathan amused knowing he hasn't.   
"Oh, look, for goodness' sake, let's be nice, children. lf we're going to play together, we must learn to share. There are other places to dig." Evy chastised us. She put her hand on Rick's arm forcing him to lower his weapon. I felt a surge of something nasty run through my veins. It felt like anger, but I wasn't angry at Evy it was a really strange feeling that I couldn't peg. I quickly put my guns away and just walked away trying to process this feeling and make it go away as quickly as possible.  
"Joe..." I heard Rick say but I kept walking as if I didn't hear him. I kept walking following the hieroglyphics on the walls, Evy eventually caught up to me.   
"Hey what was that about?" she asked me.  
"I have no idea. I think I'm okay, just had some feelings is all. No worries." Evy knew better than to push me further when I was in this type of mood.   
"Alright as long as your okay." Evy said.  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Let's find another way to get to your golden book." I said and smiled at her she smiled back at me and led the way while talking to me all about Bembridge Scholars and how things might be different this time when she applied. We eventually ended up right below Anubis's legs, Evy set the boys up to where they should be digging, we had lost the warden in the meantime.  
"According to these hieroglyphics... We're underneath the statue. We should come up right between his legs." Evy told us. I knew that, I'd been reading the hieroglyphics on the walls.   
"When those damn Yanks go to sleep-- No offense--" Jon said as he was hitting the ceiling above us. I was sitting a little ways away watching them pick away at the ceiling.  
"None taken." Rick quickly said.  
"We'll dig our way up and steal that book right out from under them." Jonathan continued. I smirked knowing this is where I picked up my cunningness. Jonathan was such a bad influence growing up.  
"Are you sure we can find this secret compartment thing?" Rick asked as he took a break and fixed his bandana around his neck then went back to picking the ceiling above them.  
"Oh, yes, if those beastly Americans haven't beaten us to it." I said smirking at him. I wasn't planning on saying no offense. Evy quickly stepped in.  
"No offense" Evy said.  
"None taken." Rick said looking at me with question in his beautiful blue eyes.   
"Hey where'd our smelly little friend get to?" Jonathan questioned as he also took a break. I just shrugged, the warden wasn't my responsibility who honestly cares where he got to? A little while later Evy, Jon, Rick and I decided a break was needed so we all sat down and discussed some topics. Eventually mummification came up and Evy was very eager to talk about it.  
"So let me get this straight. They ripped out your guts and stuffed them in jars." Rick asked Evy.  
"Yes, and they take out your heart as well. Oh and you know how they took out your brain??!" Evy asked super excited.  
"Evy I don't think we need to know this." Jon told her he was playing golf with his hammer and a rock.  
"They take a sharp red hot poker stick it up your nose, scramble things about a bit and rip it all out your nostrils!" Evy said with much enthusiasm. I smiled at her character and how much she loved it as I sharpened the beautiful knife the Egyptian women had given me.  
"That's gotta hurt." Rick said grabbing his nose.  
"It's called mummification you'll be dead when they do this." I said from my perch a bit further away a little venom filling my voice.  
"lf l don't make it out of here, don't put me down for mummification." Rick said to us making his point.  
"Likewise!" both Jonathan and I said in unison. He swung and hit a rock and all of a sudden a giant thud shook the room I fell off where I was sitting and all of a sudden Rick was right by my side crouching down next to me shielding me from any debris.   
"Are you okay??" Rick asked me concern filling his eyes. He helped me up onto my feet.  
"Yes, I'm fine." I said out of breath, I had dropped my knife in the scuffle and was about to bend down to pick it up, when Rick spotted it and quickly scooped it off the floor and gave it back to me.  
"Thank you." I all but whispered and looked at the thing right in front of me putting the knife into my boot.  
"Oh my god." I said my breath leaving again.  
"It's a-- it's a sarcophagus.." Evy finished all of our thoughts.  
"Buried at the base of Anubis..." I questioned.  
"He must have been someone of great importance. Or he did something very naughty." Evy thought about that for a second and we all looked at each other with a worried look on our faces.  
"Well, who was it?" Jon asked as we all stood over the sarcophagus.   
''He That Shall Not Be Named.'' I said reading the hieroglyphics on his tomb.  
"This looks like some sort of a lock." Rick said. I recognized it's printing. It was the lock Rick had carried around and the one Jon stole from him.  
"Well, whoever's in here he sure wasn't getting out." Jon said.   
"Yeah, no kidding. lt'd take us a month to crack into this thing without a key." Rick said adding in his 2 cents.   
"A key? A key! A key! That's what he was talking about!" Evy exclaimed. 'what in all hell was she babbling on about?' I thought looking at her like she was crazy. Evy went to grab the key Jon had found from his bag.  
"Who was talking about what?" Rick asked very lost.  
"The man on the barge. The one with the hook. He was looking for a key." Evy exclaimed setting the key on top of the carved out piece in the coffin. She looked very proud of herself, I smiled at her too.  
All of a sudden we heard screaming and rapid footsteps. We quickly ran towards the entrance to the room we were in looking outside to see the warden run head first straight into a wall. Where he fell, dead.


	7. A Stolen Kiss

We had all walked back to our campsite and were huddled by the fire that Rick had made. Evy and I sat next to each other Rick on my other side while Jon was the furthest away. I had a blanket I had bought from the market wrapped around my form because it was getting chilly  
"What do you suppose killed him?" Evy asked very concerned about the wardens death.  
"Did you ever see him eat?" Jon countered throwing off Evy entirely. I giggled at her facial reaction.  
"Seems that our American friends had a little misfortune of their own today. Three of their diggers were, uh... melted." Rick broke the news as he walked up to our gaggle.  
"What??" Evy asked horrified.  
"How?" Jon asked at the same time. I just sat there silent.  
"Pressurized salt acid... Some sort of ancient booby trap." Rick explained to us. I nodded, seemed legitimate.  
"Maybe this place really is cursed." Jon said in a slightly concerned voice. Jon threw something he had been holding into the fire and at that exact moment the wind picked up and the fire was startled.  
"Oh, for goodness' sake, you two!" Evy cried.  
"You don't believe in curses, huh??" Rick asked poking the fire with a poker.  
"No, l don't." Evy explained looking at me urging me with her eyes to speak up.  
"l believe if l can see it and l can touch it, then it's real... That's what l believe." Evy said sounding very sure of herself looking at the fire with confidence.  
"l believe in being prepared." Rick said as he wracked his shotgun scaring my sister once again. I rolled my eyes.  
"What do you believe in Joe?" Evy asked trying to involve me in their conversation.  
"I'm kind of a mix between you and Rick, Eves. I believe in being prepared but also I'm not really into the supernatural." I replied distantly thinking about Hidalgo and hoping he had enough food and water for the night. They all nodded.  
"Let's see what our friend the warden believed in." Jon said changing the conversation slightly. Jon reached his hand in the bag and abruptly pulled it back out screaming. I quickly got my gun out ready to shoot whatever it was.  
"My God, what is it!!??!!" Evy screamed.  
"A broken bottle. Glenlivet. Twelve years old! He may have been a stinky fellow,  
but he had good taste." Jon answered laughing at her reaction.  
I heard a noise off in the distance quickly shot up out of my sitting position on the sand as did Rick. We shared a look and I walked forwards to go check out the noise. Rick quickly threw his shotgun at Evy who barely caught it.  
"Take this. Stay here." Rick said.  
"Wait!! No! Joe!" Evy fought us a tad as she got up and attempted to follow us.  
"Evy! Excuse me, but didn't the man just say 'stay here'? Evy!" Jon tried to reason with my deranged sister.

All of a sudden there were a ton of men in black robes barreling towards us on horses carry torches and weapons. The Americans were very startled running around looking like a chicken with it's head cut off not knowing what to do. The men were very familiar looking to me, I could not shake the feeling this time. I knew I needed to confront whatever was happening to me. I would, this was it. The men threw their torches at the Americans tent and immediately opened fire on them. Rick and I ran up onto the action from a distance so we had the upper hand in living. We shot from a distance for a couple minutes helping the Americans as best we could. Suddenly a man in all black was behind me I quickly whipped around and shot at him, swiftly moving out of the way of his galloping horse. I saw a man chasing after Jon as Rick kept fighting other men in black I decided this was a good time to save my brothers ass once again. I quickly got a running start from the hillish sand dune I was on and tackled the man who was chasing my brother. He fell of his horse with me. We moved in synch, he got his sword out and I my gun I quickly shot it out of his hands. He looked at me surprised, I heard Rick yell out, I got distracted when I turned back he knocked my gun out of my hand with another sword that he had. I quickly rolled out of the way in order not to be sliced in half I jumped towards the fire. Rick threw me something quickly, me having relatively fast reflexes caught it. I looked down at it: Dynamite!! Perfect, I quickly lit it and turned back around to face my opponent. He looked at me once again with wonder in his eyes.

"Enough! We will shed no more blood, but you must leave. Leave this place or die." Another one of his own brought him another horse. He mounted immediately.  
"You have one day.... Yallah! Nimshi!" He yelled out and the gang rode off into the night. I pulled the wick out of the dynamite and threw it into the fire. Walking off to go find Hidalgo and make sure he wasn't too spooked, maybe take him for a little walk. However, I was stopped by Rick before I could set my plan into motion. He walked up to me and pulled me into a hug I looked into his eyes which was a mistake, I fell into their trance. He touched my chin and moved my head to the side to check for any scratches. I felt a little pain where he rubbed his thumb.  
"Are you okay?" He asked me.  
"Yeah...." I cleared my throat.  
"Yes, I'm fine." I corrected myself sounding better.  
"Are you sure? Your face is cut, let me fix it." Rick said rubbing it still as he looked at it worried. I attempted to pull away, but he held me close.  
"That proves it. Old Seti's fortune's got to be under this sand. For them to protect it like this, you know there's treasure down there." One of the Americans said.  
"No, these men are desert people. They value water, not gold." Rick said. I leaned into him unknowingly he put his arms around me in an embrace.  
"You know, maybe just at night, we could, uh, combine forces?" Mr. Burns said, he had shaving cream on his face still from when he was shaving before the attack. I stifled a laugh.  
Rick eventually let me leave to go check on Hidalgo after we checked on my siblings to make sure they were okay too. It's not like I really needed his permission to leave the campsite and go check on my horse but he needed it. I walked up to my beauty and petted his neck, Hidalgo looked quizzically at me with his dazzling blue eye. I untied him and we walked around for a bit looking out at the wonderful stars that were sitting in the sky. I sighed thinking back to what Evy had said on the barge... "You like him." She had told me. I thought about it for a little while, was it possible that I had fallen in love with my best friend from 3 years ago? I was getting lost in my thoughts when all of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around to face none other than Rick O'Connell.  
"God Rick don't sneak up on me like that." I berated him a tad.  
"Sorry, how have you been Joe?" He asked me curious.  
"Well.." I debated telling him the truth eventually I realized it was probably for the best I let someone else in.  
"You're going to think I'm crazy.... But everything about this feels oddly familiar, like we've been here before, which I know we have but... This is a different kind of familiar." Rick eyed me confused but went with it.  
"That's really strange because no one has been here in a very long time." Rick said gradually getting closer to me.  
"The man who was fighting me today. He looked at me as if he knew me and in the village we went to on the way here they called me, 'Sekhmet'." I told him. He looked down at me.  
"I don't think this is my area of expertise to comment." Rick said.  
"Yeah. Sorry anyway that's about all that's new with me." I said. We were headed back to where I had tied Hidalgo up, I tied him back up again still a relative way aways from the campsite.  
"You have anything for me?" I asked him begging him to change the subject.  
"Well.. Not entirely, do you really think we'll be able to find these books?" He asked as we slowly walked back to the campsite.  
"At the rate we are going with finding things. I'm pretty sure we will. The Americans might find them for us. All we have to do is borrow them." I said to him, he nodded. There was an awkward silence.  
"Joe." He asked me stopping in his tracks.  
"Hmm..?" I asked him.  
"Do you feel it too?" He asked sounding confused about our relationship. I looked into those deep sea blue eyes and found myself nodding.  
"Joe." He whispered and took my hand in his intertwining our fingers. It was so uncharacteristic of him, it felt weird and new but I liked it. He pulled me close and put his hand on my waist. He looked into my eyes making me weak at the knees. He brushed back a strand of my hair and slowly leaned closer to my face. Our lips met. It was a soft and exquisite kiss, very different from what we had shared before at the prison I smiled into it, leaning into him more. My feelings for him were now confirmed. We pulled away from each other smiling like crazy people.  
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time, Joe." He informed me smiling as he lead me back to the campsite where Evy and Jon were fast asleep unaware of the events that had just unfolded.


	8. Death is Only the Beginning

The entire thing that had happened with Rick was like a fairy tale come true. I barely slept that night, my insides were churning with confusion. I'd had an itty bitty crush on Rick since I first met him but we had worked out so well as friends I didn't want to screw it up. I'm glad that he had made that move, though I still wasn't sure what we exactly were, it was such a teenage thing to ask.. I'd question it later, it was just one kiss, doesn't mean we were anything... yet. Too soon it was morning and I was tired as shit but nonetheless I got up anyway. Evy shook my shoulder in the morning as if I wasn't already awake.  
"Come on Joe. Get ready so we can go excavate this mummy." I smiled up at her.  
"Good morning Eves... Alright lets go." I mumbled and got up along with Rick and Jonathan. The struggle was real for me; I was wishing I had coffee right about now. We trudged down to the city with our supplies in tow, ready to go to work.  
"Oh, l've dreamt about this since l was a little girl." Evy exclaimed visibly excited once we had got the coffin upright and ready to open.  
"You dream about dead guys?" Rick questioned her, I gave him a look that said shut-your-face.  
"Look, his sacred spells have been chiseled off." I said to Evy, pointing at the front of the sarcophagus. Her face displayed shock and confusion.  
"This man must have been condemned not only in this life but in the next." Evy said.  
"Tough break." Rick and I said at the same time, I stifled a smile and looked at him with amusement to find he was already looking at me. I blushed, looking away.  
"Yeah, l'm all tears. Now, let's see who's inside, shall we?" Jon said trying to get on with the show. Jon and Rick gripped the sides and popped it open. A skeletal figure popped out at us scaring the living bejeezus out of me though I just froze and didn't display the shock that I felt whereas Evy yelled.  
"Oh, my God, l hate it when these things do that." Evy said after she composed herself. We took a closer look at him.  
"ls he supposed to look like that?" Rick asked with question in his voice looking at me for an answer.  
"No, l've never seen a mummy look like this before." I said.  
"He's still-- still—" Evy said trying to come up with the word for our guy.  
"Juicy..." Rick and Jon said together in a grossed out voice.  
"Yes. He must be more than 3,000 years old... and, well, it looks as if he's still... decomposing." Evy said looking at the mummy with concern.  
"Hey, look at that." Rick said grabbing my arm and crouching down with me.  
"What do you make of this?" He asked pointing to the marks on the inside of the coffin.  
"These marks were made with... fingernails." I said tracing them with my fingers looking back at the mummy. I felt a shiver run through my veins. I needed to get away, I quickly got up and backed away from the corpse, feeling as if I was being suffocated.  
"This man was buried alive. And he left a message. 'Death is only the beginning.'" Evy said looking at me with wide concerned eyes, I knew we would be talking about this later. After hearing that I quickly walked out of the city and back to Hidalgo knowing he could calm my nerves.

Later that Night

The rest of the group rejoined me later near the fire I had started earlier this evening."Say, O'Connell, what do you think these babies'll fetch back home?" He held up some beautifully adorned canonic jars. I pulled my blanket around me tighter getting another weird feeling about these jars."We hear you boys found yourselves a nice, gooey mummy. Congratulations. lf you dry that fella out, you might be able to sell him for firewood." Henderson, one of the Americans, said walking up behind us with one of his buddies."Look what l found." Evy said coming to sit next to me. She had stayed down in the city with the mummy a little longer than everyone else in order to investigate our friends death. Rick had come up with Jonathan to make sure I was alright and to eat dinner and whatnot before Evy."Scarab skeletons, flesh eaters. l found them inside our friend's coffin. They can stay alive for years feasting on the flesh of a corpse. Unfortunately for our friend, he was still alive when they started eating him." I cringed a little, Rick noticed and grabbed my hand intertwining our fingers just like he had last night. I looked into his eyes there was a warmth there that I hadn't noticed before. He looked away from me and back to Evy."So somebody threw these in with our guy, and they slowly ate him alive?" He asked her curious about what really happened to this man."Very slowly." Evy confirmed."He certainly wasn't a popular fellow when they planted him." Jon said poking the fire with a stick. I rolled my eyes at him."Well, he probably got a little too frisky with the pharaoh's daughter." Rick said looking at the fire growing a little bigger."Well, according to my readings... Our friend suffered the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses... One reserved only for the most evil of blasphemers. ln my research, l've never heard of this curse having actually been performed." Evy said, I nodded in agreement, I'd never heard of it being performed either.. Except in mums stories.."That bad, huh?" Rick asked us."Yes, well, they-- They never used it because they feared it so. lt's written that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise... He would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt." I butted into the conversation giving my 2 cents. After a couple hours we had decided sleep had sounded good. I had fallen asleep with Rick at my side, his arm had wrapped itself around my waist during the night. I was peacefully cuddling into his form and away into the blackness of my mind when I heard some footsteps next to my head."That's called stealing, you know." Rick mumbled loudly enough to wake me up but I ignored it and tried to go back to sleep."According to you and my family... It's called borrowing." I heard Evy whisper back to Rick."l thought the Book of Amun-Ra was made out of gold." Rick whispered carefully trying to get up from behind me, which in turn woke me up for the day. I cleared my throat and raised my head to look at them. Rick stopped moving looking down at me with those mesmerizing eyes of his. We stared at each other for a couple moments until Evy broke the silence."lt is made out of gold. This isn't the Book of Amun-Ra. This is something else... l think this may be the Book of the Dead." Evy said to us smiling. Rick helped me up and we walked over to her crouching near her and the book."The Book of the Dead? Are you sure you want to be playing around with this thing?" Rick said question in his voice tangled with a little bit of worry."lt's just a book. No harm ever came from... Reading a book." Evy said, she looked as if she was in a trance, I had a weird feeling about this. I had been having a lot of weird feelings lately. She quickly crawled over to Jon's sleeping form and grabbed the key out of his pocket. When she moved back to the book the wind startling the fire again. Rick looked around like something was upon us."That happens a lot around here." Rick said holding his shotgun close to him."So, what's it say?" I asked her reading it silently to myself as well."Amun Ra. Amun Dei. lt speaks of the night and of the day..." Evy translated for Rick. She went on reading in the beautiful ancient language. Before we heard a yell."NO!! You must not read from the book!" The man in the fez said. We looked around and the wind started up a bit more. Jon woke up holding his bottle of booze. It would have been a comical scene had there not been bugs flying towards us at a insane speed. I quickly got to my feet and ran towards the city with my siblings and Rick right behind me. 'Shit!! I forgot about Hidalgo.' I quickly did an about face and started to run back the other way."Where're you going??" Rick said as he grabbed my arm."Hidalgo's up there, I have to get him into shade so..." I was interrupted by Evy yelling,"Scarabs!"... SHIT I thought and grabbed Rick's forearm and ran the other way."Run, Evy!"Jon yelled right after us. We were out of the city and running on this walkway when we all got separated both Evy and I were on the same block of stone. Rick was across from us and Jon to the left side. We watched as some of the diggers were eaten alive by the carnivorous scarabs. I gasped as I fell backwards fairly quickly. Unaware of what was going on, I only knew my surroundings were changing. I landed on the ground with a thunk."Fuck." I exclaimed confused and a tad worried about where we were."JOE!" Evy yelled slapping me on the arm. I looked around quickly getting to my feet and trying to determine our location."Oh. Oh, Mr. Burns..." Evy started to say"Thank goodness. l was just starting to get scared." She mumbled to me. Then turned back to Mr. Burns."We've lost everyone. l—" Evy began but didn't finish. Mr. Burns turned around clutching at his eyes or lack there of."My eyes. My eyes." He yelled in a clear amount of pain."Please help me." I noticed he sounded really weird, not just scared and upset but his vernacular of his voice sounded... Off."My tongue... He took my tongue." He choked out. Suddenly a creature, actually our mummy came out from the shadows. I backed up against the wall Evy following my lead. Suddenly I flashed back, where the mummy was an actual flesh human being and the walls of Hamunaptra were restored, it was only for a second but confused the hell out of me."Please don't leave me." Evy whispered snapping me back to reality."Sakhmet? Anck-su-namun?" The mummy asked looking from me to Evy, back and forth he seemed confused but started to walk forward to us. Evy covered her face with her hands, I stepped in front of her so she wouldn't have to deal with this weird ass creature. I closed my eyes waiting for whatever was going to happen."There you are!!!!" A wave of relief washed threw me. Rick..."Will you guys quit playing hide-and-seek?!!!" He yelled at us. Dashing in front of the creature unaware of what was unfolding before us."Come on. Let's get out of here." Rick noticed neither Evy or I moved."Whoa!!!!!" He yelled getting a look at our brand new friend. The mummy screamed in his face, Rick took this in for a second then decided the best plan of attack was to yell back at him and shoot him with his shotgun as he did it."Evy!" Jon yelled to us, he dropped his torch as he noticed the mummy."Move!" Rick said as he pushed both Evy and I to the right and started to run away. Just as we were about to dash out the exit we were stopped by the same men we had been attacked by a couple nights ago.. The man I had fought with had his facial scarf removed for the first time. He was actually very handsome, not as handsome as Rick but relatively attractive. I noted Evy took notice of his features as well. She had that weird small smile on her face that told me she found him attractive as well and that she may have a small tiny crush."lt was walking. lt was walking!!!" One of the Americans yelled as he ran up, interrupting my thoughts."l told you to leave or die. You refused. Now you may have killed us all... For you have unleashed a creature we have feared for more than 3,000 years." The man scolded us. Glaring at every one of us individually, his gaze relaxed when he looked at Evy and I, suspicious I thought."Relax. l got him." Rick said."No mortal weapon can kill this creature. He's not of this world." The man said trying to reason with Rick."You bastards. What did you do to him?" One of the Americans questioned seeing Burns there in the tribe's arms."We saved him, saved him before the creature could finish his work.." The leader tried to explain."Now leave, all of you, quickly, before he finishes you all. Yallah. Nimishi. Now we must now go on the hunt and try and find a way to kill him." The man replied to us getting upset and annoyed at all of us. I didn't blame him, I'd be annoyed at us too."l already told you l got him." Rick just wasn't getting it, that ego of his.... I elbowed him in the gut promptly fixing the problem."Know this. This creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat, he will never sleep... and he will never stop..." the man said looking Rick directly in the eyes and immediately leaving on that dramatic note.


	9. Realization

We had immediately left Hamunaptra after our encounter with the Medjai warriors. We rode through the night and into the day to make sure we got out of the city as quickly as possible. Hidalgo was fine from the event with the bugs, he had even eaten some. It wasn't super long til we got back to my humble abode in Cairo and were currently unpacking our cases. I had put Hidalgo safely in a stable where I knew he'd be secure. I had been distracted though on why the mummy had called me Sakhmet and why he'd called Evy Anck-su-namun. Such a confusing time. I had taken a shower and was all cleaned up and dressed in my normal clothes when Rick bursting through the door emotions off the hook.  
"l thought you said you didn't believe in that fairy tales and hokum stuff." Rick proceeded to badger my sister who was unpacking.  
"Shoo!" He shewed a cat away from the bed.  
"H-Having an encounter with a 3,000-year-old walking, talking corpse... Does tend to convert one." Evy stuttered out while Rick had started to throw our stuff into a suitcase.  
"Forget it. We're out the door, down the hall and we're gone." Rick said while Evy started to unpack he packed more in. Throwing my typewriter and Evy's books in there for good measure.  
"Oh, no, we are not." Evy said.  
"Oh, yes, we are." Rick countered back.  
"Oh, no, we are not. We woke him up, and we are going to stop him." Evy countered. I laughed at how this event was currently unfolding.  
"We? What we?" Rick asked incredulous.  
"We didn't read that book." Rick yelled at us, throwing his hands up in the air looking very dissatisfied.  
"l told you not to play around with that thing. Didn't l tell you?" Rick yelled at my sister, I stepped in between them so as to confirm no one would get hurt.  
"Yes, then me, me, me, me, l, l, l woke him up and l intend to stop him." Evy continued to tell him. Rick looked at me as if asking my stance on the issue at hand. I looked away from his piercing gaze he knew I'd take my sisters side in all this.  
"Yeah? How? You heard the man-- no mortal weapons can kill this guy." He proceeded to poke holes in our plan.  
"Then we are just going to have to find some immortal ones." I countered.  
"There goes that ''we'' again." He said looking entirely peeved.  
"Will you listen to me? We have to do-- Once this creature has been reborn... His curse is going to spread until the whole of the Earth is destroyed." Evy said, unpacking some of more of our stuff that had been thrown into the suitcase by Rick a little earlier.  
"Yeah? Is that my problem?" He asked us, fuming.  
"Well, It is everybody's problem." I said getting annoyed at him myself snapping.  
"Josephine, l appreciate you saving my life and all, but when l signed on... l agreed to take your family out there and to bring you back. l have done that. End of job. End of story. Contract terminated!!" Rick said waving his arms around. I felt hurt by his words but quickly put up a wall to set up a face to look like I wasn't fazed.  
"Is that all l am to you? A contract?" I asked him curiously showing hurt only a little.  
"You can either tag along with me... Or you can stay here and try and save the world!" He said seriously. I rolled my eyes at him.  
"What's it gonna be?" He asked after a couple seconds had gone by.  
"I'm staying." I said looking at my sister with her wide eyes watching this argument and relationship go down the toilet.  
"Fine!" Rick said proceeding to leave the room.  
"Fine." I said back.  
"Fine." He countered pausing at the door.  
"Fine." I said again.  
"Fine." He said finally slamming the door he had came threw only moments before. God damn this man. I decided a walk might be beneficial to walk off the energy, nervousness, and annoyance Rick was causing me. Evy offered to come with so I allowed her to. She was reading a book but could definatly feel the tension coming off of me. She broke the silence.  
"Joe.. I'm sure he didn't mean it. You know things tend to slip out when the stress is high." Evy tried to calm me down.  
"Eves.. I know, I just need time to think about it, if the relationship is worth it." I said looking down at the ground and keeping my thoughts to myself.  
"Oh, Josephine!" I heard my name from that specific man I was thinking about. Evy and I turned around, facing the problem child.  
"Oh, so you're still here." Evy spoke for me sarcasm intertwining her voice. Suddenly, lightening and meters were falling from the sky, one of the many plagues that have already happened upon us.  
"We've got problems." Rick said looking from my sister to me. Rick quickly pulled me to him and grabbed my sisters arm noticing the meters falling and lightening flashing, some people were even on fire. It was unreal I was so flabbergasted by the balls of fire reigning down on us, it felt like the end of the world. As we were looking in awe at the world around us, Rick noticed some movement on the staircase next to us. I recognized the red fez Beni was wearing.  
"Hey! Beni, you little stinkweed. Where you been?" Rick grabbed Beni quickly by the shirt and pushed him against the wall. Suddenly we heard a scream come from above us. Rick had loosened his grip enough to where Beni got to run away. Our group ran up the stairs, what we saw was not what we were expecting. Rick and I had our guns at the ready. With Evelyn behind us we walked into a beautiful suite room to see a very unpleasant and dryly sucked Mr. Burns. Rick and I trained our guns on the mummy who was now transforming more into a figure. More muscle was there and skin was forming. I realized everything he was getting was from Mr. Burns. I cringed inwardly.  
"We are in serious trouble." Rick said his eyes widening at the mummy.  
The mummy started advancing on us. Rick and I held our ground shooting at the mummy with full force. However, the effort was futile, I realized quickly there was no point and put my gun away while Rick was still shooting with both of his guns like rapid fire. Jon and the Americans quickly entered the room as well, all of them getting out their guns as well and shooting with Rick. The mummy was finally very close to Rick and he pushed him out of the way into the Americans and Jon toppling them like bowling pins. He turned to Evy and I. My sister was terrified just as we had been in the city. Damn. He backed us up against the bookcase. I stepped in front of her protecting her but barely.  
"You saved me from the undead. I thank you." He said in ancient Egyptian and leaned into kiss Evy. I quickly brought my fist up ready to punch him if he got any closer to us. But before I could a sound was heard from the opposite sound of the room, a cat had strode across the piano keys. The mummy quickly faded into sand and out the door, no where to be seen.  
"We are in very serious trouble." Rick once again reiterated himself. As he sat up with Jon and the Americans, looking at where the mummy had disappeared to.

Museum of Antiquities

"He does seem to like Evy." Jon said voicing his thoughts to us as we walked through the museum of antiquities."Yeah, what's that about?" Rick asked looking around at all the artifacts around us while following Evy's quick pace. "There's only one person I know that can give us any answers." Evy said very determined that the curator could give us some answers."You?!" Evy exclaimed. I was all but blasted with the accusation as we faced the leader of the warriors from earlier and the curator of the museum. The Americans guns went up at a fast pace, however, I did not see the need to put mine up. I knew they wouldn't harm us. Though it was a very surprising face to be seeing the warrior in this particular place."Miss Carnahan... Gentlemen... Josephine." Dr. Bey (the curator) greeted us all calmly."What is he doing here?" Evy asked with a twinge of interest in her voice rather than blame in her voice. She looked at him briefly trying to hide her very apparent interest in the mystery man."Do you really want to know, or would you prefer to just shoot us?" Dr. Bey asked looking rather peeved at the Americans and Rick for preparing themselves so abruptly and entirely ready to end their lives if need be."After what l just saw... I'm willing to go on a little faith here." Rick said close to my shoulder lowering his weapon putting it in it's holster and walking over with me to go sit down in a chair. I was sitting on the arm of his chair."We are part of an ancient secret society. For over 3,000 years we have guarded the City of the Dead. We are sworn at manhood to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest lmhotep from being reborn into this world." Dr. Bey explained, well that explains half of his actions."Because of you, we have failed." The warrior filled in looking curiously at Evy. Perhaps a romance would be kindling here very soon between them I thought."You think this justifies the killing of innocent people?" Evy asked sounding so much like a twat. I rolled my eyes at her walking away from my sister and over to Jonathan."To stop this creature? Let me think..." The curator pretended to think for a second."Yes!" The warrior and Dr. both exclaimed in unison."Question: Why doesn't he like cats?" Rick asked sounding altogether very confused about it."Cats are the guardians of the underworld. He will fear them until he is fully regenerated." Dr. Bey filled in Ricks mundane question."And then he will fear nothing." The warrior exclaimed, sounding annoyed."You know how he gets hisself fully regenerated?" said the American I didn't know the name of."By killin' everyone who opened that chest." Henderson filled in."And suckin' 'em dry, that's how!!" The other American said."Jonathan, will you stop playing with that?" Evy said to Jon. I looked over to see Jon playing with one of the mannequins arrows. I stifled my laugh"When l saw him alive at Hamunaptra, he called me Anck-su-namun. And then just now in Mr. Burns' quarters, h-he tried to kiss me." Evy explained to them. I decided now it was time to tell everyone what he had called me."He also called me Sakhmet." I added in right after Evy she looked at me along with the mysterious warrior. The warrior and the curator looked at each other curiously then the warrior looked back to me starting to explain."Sakhmet was the leader of the Medjai, which is what my people are, but she is also a goddess, goddess of war whom was sent to go fight amongst the mortals and alongside the pharaohs. She is big on revenge and winning almost impossible fights." The man explained."Joe is a spitting image of her for sure. Sakhmet fought along with the Medjai to make sure Imhotep did not rise again and she was there overseeing his live mummification, she was the one who actually gave the order. The reason she did that was because she was also the pharaohs daughter which gave her even more vengeance to slay Imhotep for killing her father. A lot of anger from the goddess indeed. No telling what Imhotep will do with that." Dr. Bey said looking at me. I shook my head unbelievingly. The curator searched around for a second then pulled a picture of the goddess from a folder he had been holding. I stared at it for a second realizing it did look like me a tad but still was a bit different than me now. I passed it to my siblings they looked at it and nodded agreeing."However, why he called Evelyn Anck-su-namun is simple. lt's because of his love for Anck-su-namun that he was cursed." Dr. Bey filled in now explaining Evy's role."Apparently, even after 3,000 years—" Dr. Bey continued."He is still in love with her." The warrior finished the thought."Yes, well that is very romantic, but what has it got to do with me?" Evy asked very intrigued by this story that mum had failed to mention to her children."Perhaps he will once again try to raise her from the dead. And it appears he has already chosen his human sacrifice." Dr. Bey said looking to Evy with little concern in his eyes along with the lovely warrior."Bad luck, old mum." Jon said leaning down giving both Evy and I stares."On the contrary, it may just give us the time we need... to kill the creature." Dr. Bey contemplated. I shook my head, I didn't like where this idea was headed."We will need all the help we can get. His powers are growing." The warrior said. We all got up to watch the eclipse.

"And he stretched forth  
his hand towards the heavens...  
and there was darkness  
throughout the land of Egypt.''


	10. What Did I Get Myself Into?

We left the museum in a hurry to figure out a game plan for how we would stop the creature and put him back in the dirt where he belonged. I was sitting on the window sill looking out at the beautiful scene before me of the eclipsed sun. I was thinking about this person whom I was told I was: Sahkmet. It felt like a coincidence. However, I kept getting the weird flashbacks. Something did draw me here I will admit but a reincarnation is a little far. I shook the thoughts away.  
"We must stop him from regenerating. Who opened that chest?" Evy asked the Americans. She sounded so determined my baby sister was becoming a leader, I smiled thinking about how when we were little she would always cower behind me or come get me to look in her closet for monsters. My sister was growing up!!  
"There was me and Daniels here." Henderson narrated. I finally learned the other Americans name. I looked back inside at all of them huddled around the table, I caught Ricks eye from across the room. I quickly looked away and back outside.  
"And Burns, of course." Daniels filled in after Henderson.  
"And that Egyptologist fellow." Henderson continued for him.  
"What about my buddy Beni?" Rick asked from his seat.  
"No, he scrammed outta there 'fore we opened the damn thing." Daniels filled him in.  
"Yeah, he was the smart one." Henderson said looking down at the ground almost as if ashamed he'd been there.  
"Well, that sounds like Beni." I said speaking up from my position.  
"We must find the Egyptologist and bring him back to the safety of the fort before the creature can get to him." Evy said. I shuddered got the chills for a weird reason.  
"They stay here. You three, come with me." Rick announced taking charge pointing at Evy and myself.  
"Well hold on!! You can't leave me behind like some old carpetbag." Evy argued I knew there wouldn't be any use in fighting him. But gathered in on the protests anyway.  
"Who put you in charge???" I asked standing up and walking over to Rick fuming. Quickly he hoisted me up onto his shoulder and walked into the bedroom. He threw me on the bed and turned around to look at my sister. She walked in the room willingly. I gaped at her, what the actual hell Evy?!  
"Jonathan!!! O'Connell!" I yelled as Rick started on his way out of the room.  
"Sorry, but he's a bit... tall." I heard my brother mutter. Chicken.  
"Coward that you are! O'Connell, you are not leaving me in here! Jonathan, if you don't open this door in one minute flat— " I started to use threats to get my brother to listen. It didn't work to say the least. I quickly pulled out my knives and threw them at Rick just as he slammed the door shut. My knifes landed themselves in the lovely oak door, well...I tried to catch up Rick. God damn Rick.  
"That's not very nice Joe." Rick yelled to me.  
"O'Connell, you lying bastard." I yelled back to the door.  
"This door doesn't open. She doesn't come out, and no one goes in, right?" I heard Rick say. I pulled my knife out of the door.  
"Right." That was Daniels.  
"Right?" Rick asked again.  
"Right." Henderson this time spoke up.  
"O'Connell!!!!" I yelled trying one more time.  
I eventually realized no one was going to let me out of the room. Rick had taken my guns off me when I was on his shoulder. I turned around and glared at Evy wondering why she just willingly gave up and just sat there like a carpet bag. Ugh my family was nuts.

"Anck-su-namun." I heard someone whisper.  
I opened my eyes a crack just to see what was going on. When I did I opened my eyes to find Imhotep above me with a knife aimed at my stomach. I quickly grabbed the knife from underneath my pillow and stabbed him in the arm, he looked surprised at first, he showed no pain. He was not pleased with me at all. He dropped the dagger he was holding and grabbed my arms and threw me into the wall, the knife still in his arm. My head hit the wall and I lost my vision for a moment. When the color faded back into view I saw The mummy walked up to me again, he pulled my knife out of his arm and grabbed my neck lifting me up against the wall holding the knife near me, ready to slit my throat. I heard Evy screaming as she tried to pry the mummy off me.  
"Hey, get your ugly face away from her!" Rick exclaimed sounding very pissed. Imhotep looked up at Rick distracted for a moment.  
"Hey! Look what l got." Rick raised his arms that had the cat in them. The mummy screamed and faded into dust rushing out of the window. I slid back down the wall catching my breath. My knife clattering on the ground.  
"You alright?" Rick asked me as he dropped the cat and strode over to me.  
He held out his hand for me to take. I just looked at it for a second. Rick looked into my eyes as if to say come-on-just-take-my-damn-hand. I took it and he helped me up I stumbled a little and he held me in his arms for a bit til I was able to move again without getting dizzy. I wrapped my arms around his torso and we just stood there with him holding me.  
"Well, I'm not sure." Jon answered. I rolled my eyes at him. Looking at Evy's face to guarantee that she in face was alright as well. She nodded at me and walked over to Jon to talk to him about what him and Rick had discovered.

"Well, according to legend, the black book the Americans found at Hamunaptra... Is supposed to bring people back from the dead. Until now it was a notion l was unwilling to believe." Evy said as we walked briskly back threw the museum.  
"Believe it, sister. That's what brought our buddy back." Rick said with a bite of sarcasm.  
"l'm thinking that if the black book can bring dead people to life—" Evy started.  
"Then maybe the gold book can kill him." I filled in to Evy.  
"That's the myth." She said.  
"Now we just have to find out where the gold book is hidden." I said, I had a good feeling about where it was, back at Hamunaptra. I rolled my eyes.  
"lmhotep. lmhotep." We heard a ton of voices almost chanting the name. Like robots.  
"Last but not least... My favorite plague-- boils and sores." Jonathan added in his opinion.  
"They have become his slaves. So it has begun, the beginning of the end." The Medjai had joined us.  
"Not yet it hasn't." Evy spoke up looking him in the eyes. They shared a look  
"lmhotep. lmhotep." They continued. We kept walking towards this big stone slab where Evy and I were going to start reading to translate along with Dr. Bey and Ardeth who was the Medjai leader.  
"According to Bembridge scholars, the golden Book of Amun-Ra... Is located inside the statue of Anubis." Evy explained.  
"That's where we found the black book." Daniels said.  
"Exactly." Evy said matter of factly.  
"Looks like the old boys at Bembridge were mistaken." Jon laughed, we both knew they were cheating Evy of an amazing opportunity and quite frankly were missing out since they kept rejecting her application. Evy and I started to translate the stone.  
"They mixed the books up. Mixed up where they were buried. So if the black book  
is inside the statue of Anubis... Then the golden book must be inside—" Evy trailed off eying the stone. The chanters had burst threw the door of the museum. I read a little faster knowing this needed to be done ASAP.  
"Joe." Rick said to me sharply basically telling me to go faster. I hissed at him ignoring his obnoxious beautiful voice.  
"Come on, Evy. Faster." Jon urged.  
"Patience is a virtue." Evy countered Jon.  
"Not right now it isn't." I said while I continued to read.  
"Uh, l think l'll go and get the car started." Jon stated and left the building.  
"l've got it. The golden Book of Amun-Ra is at Hamunaptra inside the statue of Horus." Evy exclaimed. I stepped away from the stone.  
"Take that, Bembridge scholars." I muttered smiling knowingly. My sister was amazing and they needed her, they are going to get an earful from me when I get back to my humble abode. We rushed out of the museum only to be met with a ton of people about 100 meters in front of us.  
"lmhotep!!!!" I heard Beni yell to the undead mummy. He stood in the window where we just were. He looked very close to being fully regenerated.  
"You're gonna get yours, Beni! You hear me? You're gonna get yours!" Rick yelled back once we were all safely in the car and Jonathan speed off.  
"Oh, like l've never heard that before!" I heard the faint voice shout back at us Jonathan drove threw the streets of Cairo like a maniac until we stopped abruptly. What the hell??? I looked up from reloading some weapons to see the giant mob of people. Rick decided now would be a good time to slam on Jonathans foot and plow threw the crowd.  
"Hang on!" He yelled. We started knocking the group over like bowling pins. However some of them latched onto the car and started to climb in and fights broke out. I threw some punches and threw them out of the car when I noticed Daniels being dragged out by some of the zombies.  
"Hey! O'Connell! O'Connell!" Daniels yelled to us. But he got dragged out anyway. Poor guy. All of a sudden the car crashed into some barrels containing water. Rick helped me out of the car, not like I really needed the help though. I noticed Ardeth helping Evy out and Jon stumbling out by himself. Rick grabbed a torch and started waving it at some people to get them to step away from us. All in a moment we were backed up against some building not knowing what to do with these people circling us chanting for the man who wanted me dead.  
"lt's the creature. He's fully regenerated." Dr. Bey commentated for us.  
"Keetah mi pharos... Aja nilo, isirian." Imhotep said. Rick stepped in front of me a little not knowing what was going to happen next.  
''Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine forever." Beni translated.  
''For all eternity, idiot." Evy corrected him. Not really the best time for that Eves.  
"Koontash dai na... Aja nilo." Imhotep said. I struggled with the decision we now needed to make. I looked at Evy.  
"Take my hand... And l will spare your friends." Beni translated for us.  
"Oh, dear..." Evy said looking to me asking me for help.  
"Have you got any bright ideas?" I asked Rick looking into those baby blues.  
"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'." He said glancing back at me twisting around the torch.  
"Well, you better think of something fast, because if he turns me into a mummy... You're the first one I'm coming after." I said to him hooking Evy and I's arms together and walking forward in tow with her.  
"No..." Rick said, I sense the sacredness in his voice. I could see the anguish in his face as he pulled his gun out and pointed it at Imhotep.  
"Don't!" Ardeth grabbed Rick's arm.  
"He has to take us to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual." I said, not super worried that I would die but definitely knew it was a possibility.  
"She is right. Live today, fight tomorrow." Ardeth tried to console Rick. Rick changed immediately to anger.  
"I'll be seeing you again." He promised looking Imhotep in the eyes.  
"Evelyn! Joe!!" Jonathan yelled to us.  
"Hey, that's mine." He said as Beni walked up to him and stole his puzzle box.  
"Thank you." He said like the obnoxious little twat he is. Imhotep took a hold of both Evy and I's arms and drug us away.  
"No! Let go of me!" I heard Evy yell, while I just let it happen.  
"Imhotep." His minions started chanting again following us out  
"Good-bye, my friend." I heard Beni say to Rick.  
"Come here, you little—" I heard Rick yell.  
A feeling of complete and utter horror crossed over my mind. What if I never saw Rick again. I couldn't live with that, but I had to because this was now a reality. I looked at Evy who seemed to be miles away in her mind. I was worried for the both of us. But there was one thing for certain: I would not go down without a fight. Mum wouldn't want that for us.


	11. Memories and Sandstorms

It didn't take long for me to realize what was going to happen to us. My eyes filled with unshed tears as I was walking near Evy. I tried not to let my emotions show, I didn't want to scare her she was already scared enough. I wasn't too sure Rick, Jonathan, and the Ardeth could get to us in time to save our lives. I knew I would do everything in my power to keep Evy safe. That was my main priority. I let my mind wander back to childhood to what got me into this mess...

I was only about 13 years old. I was climbing up the stairs to our attic flashlight in hand ready to discover this new world of which I had thought up in my head. I flipped on the actual light switch which ignited the single bulb and a couple lamps we had in this ginormous room. I walked further in, the room was cluttered with older artifacts that my mother and father had decided weren't worth their time anymore or we just didn't have room for downstairs anymore. I looked at the rustic furniture that used to be downstairs but wasn't anymore. I wondered what and where it came from, how it got here, it's story. I had always been fascinated with how things came to be. My parents being explorers and 'treasure seekers' really encouraged this quality in all of us. Hence why Jonathan picked up the quality of being obsessed with treasure and money. It was a good quality in their eyes. Thunder struck around me scaring me a little as the lightning light up the room I was about to see into all the nooks and crannies around me. I looked around the room amazed by all the beautiful relics of the past. I kept walking to my destination, I lifted this chair that was secretly some steps up to a shelf that contained a dusty old book with a lovely seal on it. I smiled at my achievement excited to learn about whatever this book contained. I stepped back down the chair and turned around only to be met by my moms face.   
"Mom!" I whispered surprised she knew I was up here, she was tending to Jonathan and his latest problem. And she was currently pregnant with Evy on the way so I defiantly wasn't expecting to see her up here rather I was expecting my dad.   
"You're not supposed to be up here." She scolded me for my adventurous mind.   
"I just wanted to know." I said looking into her eyes and seeing something else in her eyes. They gleamed with mischief.   
"Well you're old enough I suppose. You should know the story." She said as she took a seat rubbing her belly smiling.  
"Okay, here we go..." She took off into a story of romance, deceit, and treasure and wonderful adventure. I was hooked, this sparked my interest in Egypt. I needed to get out there eventually. I smiled holding the old book in my hands just listening to her speak about Egypt with such love, it was her home. She finished her story smiling at me holding her stomach with care. Mom suddenly grimaced in pain and cried out. I jumped away from her wondering what the problem was, there was what looked like water at her feet. She looked at me saying:  
"Go get your father." I knew this wasn't the time to ask questions. I ran down the stairs calling for my father and Jonathan if he was around, they'd know what to do. Little did I know that would be one of the last times my mother had shared a great story with me... 

I swore to myself that would not be the last time I ever found any treasure. I would go beyond the norm and out of my way to find these things she told me about. Eventually later in my life I would be telling Evy the same story my mother told me when she was pregnant with her. I told her that story the week before I left home. I snapped out of my thoughts realizing that Evy probably needed some comfort in what was happening in the moment. I just knew I needed to get my baby sister out of this sticky situation.

Rick's POV

I knew we needed a game plan we needed to get both Joe and Evy back from Imhotep who knows what that bastard had plans for.. Sick man wanted to bring his dead girlfriend back from the dead and was planning on using my girl and her sister to do it, that was not okay in my book. Jonathan drove us to the Airfield at Giza where I knew Winston might be willing to help us. He was sitting underneath an umbrella with a record player at his side sipping some tea.

"Morning, Winston. Uh, a word?" I asked him as our gang climbed up this sand dune to get closer to the man who was going to help us whether he liked it or not.

"What's your little problem got to do with His Majesty's Royal Air Corps?" He asked me. I looked plainly at him.

"Not a damn thing." I said. Winston wised up for a second sitting up straighter and setting down his tea.

"Is it dangerous?" He asked me his eyes widening. I thought about lying to him but decided it would be better if I didn't.

"You probably won't live through it." I said nodding my head a little. He knew Joe, this should blow over relatively well.

"By Jove, do you really think so?" He asked sounding almost excited about it.

"Everybody else we've bumped into has died. Why not you?" Jonathan hopped into the conversation. I knew he was more worried than I was about his sisters.

"What's the, uh-- What's the challenge then?" Winston asked me.

"Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy and save the world. Winston, It's Josephine and her sister." I said plain and simple. His eyes showed fear for a second, him and Joe were close at one point. He was probably wondering how she got captured and why I had to go get her back. Winston always knew there was something between Joe and I, he just never voiced it aloud except to me always joking that we'd be a good couple blah blah blah...

"Oh! Winston Havelock at your service, sir!!" He said getting up and saluting me. He led us all over to the plane we'd be taking to get to Hamunaptra which I had no idea how he would find in the dunes but oh well. I sat behind him in the co-pilots seat, with Jonathan and Ardeth being the unlucky ones who were clinging onto the wings. We took off and were making our way towards Hamunaptra when I whistled looking to Jonathan to make sure he was okay because he looked like he was going to puke at any second.

"Are you all right?" I asked giving him a thumbs up.

"Do l bloody look all right?" He reacted to my question poorly, I don't blame him though. I then whistled to Ardeth to ask the same question

."How you doin'?" I asked him. He had this goofy grin on his face like he was having the time of his life. I looked around seeing this giant sand tornado of sorts.

"See that? I've never seen one so big." Winston said pointing to it.

"Never?" I asked unsure if he was being serious or not.

"No!" He answered. I looked around a little as we kept soaring threw the sky.

"Oh, my God...." I announced upon seeing the giant sandstorm headed towards us.

"Hey, Winston! Pedal faster!" I yelled to him. I knew he must've seen it in the mirror he had.

"Hang on, men!" He yelled to us as he sent the plane into a dive hopefully shielding us from the storm over these rocks that Hamunaptra was. The sand followed us over it and we picked up amazing speed. I looked into the sand and saw a face. Imhoteps face, it smiled smug with itself. I quickly took the gun and started shooting at it yelling as I did so. I knew this could be the end. I threw on my goggles and ducked into my seat. The sand consumed us and sent us into a spin.

"Here l come, laddies!" I heard Winston yell and laugh like a maniac. Surprisingly the plane was solidly fine as the sandstorm disappeared from behind us. We ended up losing control and crashing promptly destroying the plane. I hopped out of my seat and walked around to the side to help Jonathan with my weapons bag in tow.

"Uhm a little help would be useful if it's not too much trouble!!!" I heard Jonathan yell.

"Yeah yeah alright." I said coming to get Jonathan down from his peak.

"Winston!! Hey Winston." I tried shouting but didn't hear a reply from him. I walked up to him and checked for a pulse. I didn't find one. Wow I didn't think this excursion would actually kill him. I looked to Jonathan and back when suddenly the plane started sinking with Winston inside.

"Quicksand!!" I heard Ardeth yell as Jonathan quickly pulled me back away from it.

"It's quicksand!" Ardeth said again as we backed more away from the plane. We watched as the plane sunk into the ground. If Joe would have been here she would've found a way to get him out I'm sure of it. I brought my hand up and saluted as the plane went down out of respect for Winston. I knew we didn't have much more time before Joe might be dead so I picked up my weapons bag and carried onward. I needed to get them back, I needed to get Joe tell her I've loved her from the moment I met her but I couldn't do that when she was with some creature who wanted her dead.


	12. Just Die Already

We entered Hamunaptra again. I stuck in front of our group following Imhotep behind me was my sister and Beni. I looked back at Evy for a second questioning her with my eyes asking silently if she was okay.  
"Keep moving!" Beni said pushing my sister forward. I immediately went into action I pulled my knife on him pushing him back against the wall knife at his throat.  
"You know... Nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance." Evy said glaring at him.  
"Really? They do?" He choked out, I dared him to move more with my eyes digging my knife into his neck a little more drawing some blood.  
"Oh, yes. Always." Evy said glaring at Beni and walking away following Imhotep down a staircase. I looked at Beni who looked very vulnerable. I smirked knowing my work was done.  
"Touch her again and you will lose your life." I spit out shoving him away promptly knocking his head into the wall. I spun on my heel and walked down towards my sister and Imhotep.  
"Always a pleasure Joe." I heard him mumble I rolled my eyes ignoring it.  
Once we all got down the stairs Imhotep was getting out these ancient canopic jars, of whos remains I had no idea... We heard a shot ring out from above us somewhere.  
"O'Connell." Evy whispered looking at me her eyes filling with hope. Imhotep glared and opened the jar quickly pouring whatever it was into his hand and blew it on the wall.  
"Shatay Wapay Ku Ra Eck!" He mumbled to the wall. I stared at it wondering what would happen. Suddenly the wall started groaning. What in all hell??? I thought walls aren't supposed to make noises. Beni, Evy and I moved closer wondering what was happening. Suddenly, the men in the artwork and hieroglyphics came alive. They were mummies!!! They stepped out of the wall towards us, that's definitely not normal.  
"Bembridge scholars never wrote about this." Evy started and we all moved back. These mummies bowed their heads to Imhotep and Imhotep did the same. Odd.

"Kill them and wake the others." Imhotep said to them.

I woke up to Evy screaming. Woaw wait a second when was I sleeping?? I must have been knocked out or something. Damn Beni is going to die. I tried to move to help Evy but soon realized I was handcuffed to a table just like Evy was; Anck-su-namun between us. I tried pulling at my shackles but it was no use. I couldn't think for too long all of a sudden there were priests surrounding where Evy and I were tied down. Imhotep walked up to my side with the black book in hand."Anck-su-namun." He whispered looking longingly at the corpse next to me. He placed the key in the book and opened it. Slowly he placed the key away in his robes for safe keeping. I think it's time to yell for help now!!"O'Connell! Jonathan!" Evy started the yelling perfectly on time with my thoughts."RICKKKK!!! JON!!" I yelled with her. Imhotep started his incantations. I saw this purple almost liquid mist rise from the pool of souls I guess. It took flight like a bird and flew over near us laying itself on the mummy between Evy and I. Anck-su-namun screamed to life. I guess after being dead for that long you need to scream a little. She looked over to Evy who was freaking out her own screams filling the room.  
"With your death, Anck-su-namun shall life. And I shall be invincible." Imhotep said in ancient Egyptian. Imhotep walked over to my sister. He had just raised his knife when Jonathan made his grand entrance.  
"l found it, Evy! l found it!" Jonathan yelled to us looking very proud of himself. What a nerd. I rolled my eyes internally.  
"The book of Amun Ra." Imhotep looked at it in wonder.  
"Shut up and get us off here, Jonathan!!!" I yelled back to him.  
"Open the book, Jonathan. It's the only way to kill him. You have to open the book and find the inscription." Evy told Jon. Imhotep walked away from us and started up to where Jon was standing.  
"Well, l can't open it! lt's locked or something... We need the key, Evy!" Jonathan told us.  
"It's inside his robes." I said to him. Jonathan quickly ducked behind a statue to go figure out how to get the key. I noticed some movement on Evy's side of the room. Rick quickly jumped out with a sword and cut off one of Evy's restraints. Oh thank god at least one of us was safe.  
"lm Yub Set Na." Imhotep mumbled. Rick went to town on these mummies. Punching them, kicking their heads off, and reducing them to dust. I longed to be in the fight with him.  
"Rick!" I yelled.   
He worked his way over to me and freed my one arm quickly twirling around and running his sword threw a couple other mummies then freed my other arm. I was free. I quickly searched my person for my knife and couldn't find it. I ran quickly to find another one. While Rick defended my sister from these mummies. Suddenly, I heard a commotion and Rick yell. Oh shit. I found what I was looking for, two sais would do the trick. I twirled them in my hands, perfect I smiled and ran back to my sister and Rick. I found him on the floor a mummy was holding onto his feet, another at his head and one coming towards him about to drop a very heavy tablet on his head. Oh no that wouldn't do. I snuck up behind this mummy and stabbed it in the back with one of my sais. It arched its back dropping the tablet at its feet and turned to attack me. I punched it in the head sending it flying across the room, the body went to go find it. Rick got up off the ground, he had dealt with the two mummies who were holding his head and legs. He quickly cut off Evy's last restraint and we all huddled together near the table. A door opened and there were more mummies who marched towards us.  
"Oh, yeah. This just keeps gettin' better and better." Rick said to us annoyed.  
"Do something, Jonathan." Evy pleaded with him.  
"Me?" Jonathan questioned clearly shocked.  
"You can command them." She told him.  
"You have got to be joking." Jon said still shocked.  
"Finish the inscription on the cover, idiot. Then you can control them." I lashed out annoyed at everything that was happening.  
"Oh. Right." He said backing up into another wall.  
Anck-su-namun was nowhere to be found for a little bit. I heard something behind us groaning. Fuck. And of course there she was wielding a knife at my sister who was screaming. Anck-su-namun quickly backed her up against a wall. I knew she could handle her though at least for a little bit. The mummies started moving forwards on Rick and I. Rick decided yelling at them would be a good idea. They ended up yelling back at us. Rick made a hilarious noise and grabbed my arm running away with me. He hopped across the pool of souls while I ran the opposite direction taking two of the four mummies of whom were following us. I ran quickly and hid in a small opening in the wall watching the two mummies run past it and keep going the way I had been running. I took a breather for a second.  
"Hurry up, Jonathan!" I heard Evy yell.  
I had finally found my way back to the room where everyone was at and saw Rick running down the stairs while Evy was running around with Anck-su-namun. I quickly went to go find her feeling that Rick would be alright.  
"l can't figure out this last symbol!" Jonathan yelled back to her.  
"What does it look like?" I heard Evy's voice fairly close to me. I finally found them. Anck-su-namun had her hand wrapped around Evy's neck. I quickly ran up slicing her arm almost clean off while Evy took the time to run away.  
"lt's a, uh, a bird-- a stork!" Jon yelled while I slashed at Anck-su-namun slicing her undead skin off her. I eventually backed her up against a wall. Not knowing what to do she dropped her knife and ran.  
"Ahmenophus!" Evy yelled to him.  
"Oh, yes, l see." Jon let out a sigh of realization as I ran after Anck-su-namun.  
"Uh, Hootash im Ahmenophus." Everyone stopped still in their places. The guards started to march towards me and Anck-su-namun. Imhotep attempted to get the mummies back under his control but failed.  
"Fa-Kooshka" Jon finished the inscription. Imhotep charged him as I was watching that Anck-su-namun grabbed me by the throat surprising me and pushed me up against a wall. I kneed her in the stomach and head-butted her to back her up. The mummies rushed us and started stabbing and eventually killed her with their weapons... Again.  
"Anck-su-namun! Anck-su-namun!" Imhotep yelled. I was busy watching the scene before me.  
"Evy! I've got it." Jon knocked me out of the trance I was in.  
Suddenly Rick was thrown in my direction. I knelt to help him up but Imhotep was on us in seconds, I quickly stabbed my sais into his stomach and shoulder to let Rick breathe for a second so it was a distraction. Imhotep pulled the sai out of his shoulder as I retrieved the one from his stomach.  
"Keep him busy." I heard Evy yell to us.  
"No problem." Rick said from below me. Imhotep looked into my eyes, hatred filling them with a mix of something else. He slashed the sai across my face. I yelped. Touching my face where he had cut me blood covered my fingers. Before I could look back up he had grabbed Rick again and thrown him across the room yet again. I ran back to the tables where I was held down earlier. Imhotep quickly closed the distance between us punching me in the stomach I failed to block it, I was more worried about him stabbing me as I doubled over in pain. He grabbed my throat the sai to my neck ready to spill my blood and be rid of me forever.  
"Hurry, Evy! Hurry!" Jon told our sister worried about my well being.  
"You're not helping." She sang to him. Rick practically bulldozed Imhotep over tackling him at the waist which caused the mummy to drop me.  
"Oh! l've got it." She finally exclaimed. Imhotep got to his feet.  
"Kadeesh mal. Kadeesh mal. Pared oos. Pared oos." She read out in ancient Egyptian. A blue chariot pulled by horses quickly descended the stairs. They ran threw Imhotep running back up the stairs with his immortality. Imhotep ran after the ghosts of the horses stopping halfway up the stairs realizing he wasn't going to get it back.  
"l thought you said it was gonna kill him!" Rick said on his feet above me in a protective stance as I caught my breath on the ground. Imhotep walked towards us again. Rick stabbed him straight threw the stomach this time pain showed across his face, he was bleeding and human..  
"He's mortal." Evy explained. Rick pulled his sword out and Imhotep walked back into the pool of souls clutching his stomach. He looked up at us as his skin started dissipating he mumbled something in ancient Egyptian that I didn't end up catching but Evy did. He disappeared beneath the water.  
"Death... Is only the beginning." She told us.


	13. Demolition and Happy Endings

Rick helped me up holding me close to him for a second. Suddenly, sand started seeping through the ceiling.  
"Time to go." He said in a panicked voice grabbing my hand and running towards the exit. Evy was right behind us with Jon carrying the gold book behind her.  
"You've lost the book! Jonathan, l can't believe—" I heard Evy speak from behind me. Evy started freaking out over the book that was now gone in this pool of purply water with skeletal figures in it. Now was not the time to start this, the exits were closing and we needed to be on the other side of Hamunaptra when they closed. Both Jonathan and I ran back to Evelyn grabbed both of her hands and started running back towards the exit to catch up to Rick. We were running through the corridors while sand was coming down like a heavy rain shower. It was almost impossible to see, somehow Rick managed to get us out and into a giant treasure room. We kept running, I noticed Jonathan slow down and stare at all the gold and beauty in the room. We did not have the time for this.  
"Couldn't we just—" Jonathan started staring at the gold doing circles, he was in awe. I quickly stole a necklace and stuffed it in my shirt for him later. As my sister and Rick went to grab Jonathan.  
"No, Jonathan!" Evy immediately said. As we all continued up the stairs to get out of this wonderful room.  
"O'Connell!" We heard from behind us. Ah shit. It was Beni he sounded desperate. We had just passed underneath the closing doors to the treasure room when Beni started pleading with Rick.  
"O'Connell! Wait!" He tried again.  
"Come on, come on! Beni!" Rick said risking his life for this dumbass. I couldn't believe it. His arm was about to be crushed by this moving door, there was no way Beni could fit under it. At the last second Rick gave up pulling his arm out just in time as the door shut forever.  
"Good-bye, Beni." He said to the wall, at least he tried. Rick got up and ran after both Evy and my brother taking my hand in his again pulling me along with him. I was blinded by the light as soon as we got outside. There was no stopping to breathe, the city was crumbling around us.  
"Go go go go!!!" Rick was yelling as some pillars fell right where Evy was about to run just moments ago. Everything was falling we were dodging them as best we could just nearly being squished. And to top it off just when we finished dodging pillars the sand started to disappear beneath our feet. I ran my heart out. Finally, we were a safe distance away near where all the camels had run to. The city disappeared behind us sand volcanoing up into the air in a giant cloud. It looked like a bomb just went off, the city was gone. Jonathan's scream woke up my adrenaline once again.  
"Oh! Thank you. Thank you very much." Jon said as he turned around to find Ardith sitting there on his camel. Evy stepped forwards towards him.  
"You've earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people." He said smiling at Evy. A budding romance was definitely there.  
"Yes, well, it was nothing." Jon started putting his hand over his heart in an attempt to calm it down.  
"May Allah smile upon you always." Ardeth said to us. I smiled at him. He kissed his fingers and touched his forehead then gestured to us.  
"And... yourself." Jon said attempting to give it back to him. Ardeth clucked to his camel in order to get him moving. Evy looked back at me, as if asking if it was okay to go talk to him. I nodded to her.  
"Yes, anytime." Jon said. Evy took off in a run to go talk to him privately to see if there was anything there and to thank him for his help.  
"Stay out of trouble." Rick said smiling that attractive smile I loved.  
"He's just... leaving us here. Well, l guess we go home empty-handed... again." Jon said looking upset.  
"l wouldn't say that." Rick said looking at me, grabbing my chin with his free hand forcing me to look into his wonderful blue eyes. I smiled up at him.  
"Josephine Rose Carnahan. I should have told you this from the moment I met you..." I looked at him curiously wondering what he could have possibly wanted to say to me.  
"I love you." He finished his thought leaning forwards and kissing me on the lips. My heart leaped, finally. This is what I had been waiting for.  
"Oh, please!" Jonathan let out a sigh ruining our moment.  
"How 'bout you, darling? Would you like a little kissy-wissy?" He said looking to the camel. Evy came back quickly looking at the ground. I stepped out of Ricks arms to see what she had to say she gave me a look of content.  
"Ready to go?" I asked her, I'd ask her later about Ardeth later.  
"Yes, lets go home." She said smiling at me and Jon we had a group hug real quick before we started on the long journey back home. Rick and I got up onto our camel as Jon and Evy did the same.  
I knew this wasn't the end of my adventures in Egypt. I knew something would always draw me here whether it was my mother being Egyptian or not, it was clear it was in the Carnahans bloodline. Just like being adventurers and treasure seekers was. I learned a lot about myself during this trip, I found old friends and made new ones. I have some amazing stories to someday tell my nieces and nephews someday. I knew one thing for certain, this was not the end.


End file.
